'A moment of great opportunity' to build nuclear free world: Manmohan Singh

By Arun Kumar and Manish Chand, Washington, Nov 25 : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday called his state visit to the US 'a moment of great opportunity in our relationship' to address global challenges of terrorism, making the environment cleaner and moving towards a world free of nuclear weapons.

"This is a moment of great opportunity in our relationship," he said as US President Barack Obama rolled out the red carpet for him in the first official state visit of his presidency.

"India and the US can, and must, work together to harness the immense potential of our talented and enterprising people, and support each other's growth and prosperity," he said replying to Obama's warm words of welcome.

Manmohan Singh said: "India and America are separated by distance, but bound together by the values of democracy, pluralism, rule of law, and respect for fundamental human freedoms.

"Over the years, we have built upon these values and created a partnership that is based upon both principle and pragmatism. Our relations have been transformed, and today they encompass cooperation in all areas of human activity," he noted.

The prime minister said amid applause he had come "to build upon these successes and to strengthen our multifaceted relationship. We seek to broaden and deepen our strategic partnership, and to work with the US to meet these challenges of a fast-changing world in this 21st century."

Manmohan Singh also appreciated Obama's "strong personal commitment to our bilateral relationship."