Obama seeks to reassure Singh on U.S.-India ties

By Matt Spetalnick

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sought to reassure Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday of his commitment to boosting U.S. ties with India even as his administration has set its rivals, China and Pakistan, as top priorities.

Treating Singh to the first state visit of the new U.S. administration, Obama faced the challenge of easing the emerging Asian power's concerns that it is slipping down his foreign policy agenda, dominated recently by efforts to craft a new war plan in Afghanistan and curb Iran's nuclear ambitions.

"Your visit, at this pivotal moment in history, speaks to the opportunity before us to build the relationship between our nations ... into one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century," Obama told Singh at a welcoming ceremony.

India's government had looked to the White House talks for a clear message that Obama intends to sustain momentum in improving diplomatic and economic relations that deepened under his predecessor, George W. Bush.

Obama, who met privately with Singh before hosting him at an elegant state dinner to be held later on Tuesday, responded by hailing India as "indispensable" to global security and prosperity.

The summit agenda focused heavily on efforts to enhance economic links that have blossomed since India's market reforms in the early 1990s. Two-way trade grew to nearly $50 billion last year from just $5 billion in 1990, turning the United States into India's largest trading partner.

The two leaders were also expected to try to narrow their differences over climate change, seek to speed up completion of a 2005 civilian nuclear deal that has yet to be implemented and agree to redouble cooperation on counterterrorism.

"We seek to broaden and deepen our strategic partnership," Singh said, with both leaders citing their countries' shared values as the world's largest democracies.