A historic visit by Manmohan: US

A week after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was accorded a red carpet welcome in the US, the Obama administration has termed his visit as “historic” and said both the countries had some “specific accomplishments.”

“It was really an historic visit, that we had some specific accomplishments,” the State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.

“I think we achieved some important agreements, and we signed several agreements right here at the State Department,” Mr. Kelly said when asked about the visit of the Indian Prime Minister, during which several MoUs were signed.

But according to experts, it lacked the big news item like the nuclear deal announced during the Prime Minister’s State Visit during the Bush Administration in 2005.

“I think the main thing was it underscored the growing importance of our relationship of the United States with the world’s largest democracy, of a country that is growing in importance not only regionally, but globally,” Mr. Kelly said.

“We opened up some new areas for cooperation and for discussion, particularly in the areas of energy and climate change. So I think it was really an historic visit, that we had some specific accomplishments.

“In the long run, the important thing was that we agreed on the need for a strategic partnership in both regional and global issues,” Mr. Kelly said.