Obama hails U.S.-India ties amid talks with Singh

India and China have a strong trade relationship, despite a disputed shared border. And talking of an enhanced role for China in Asian or global affairs — as Obama did repeatedly while in Shanghai and Beijing — raises hackles in India.

Obama also has lavished attention on Pakistan since taking office 10 months ago, hoping to boost Pakistani cooperation in the fight against al-Qaida and other extremists based along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Pakistan and India are nuclear-armed rivals that have fought two wars since their 1947 independence from Britain, bitterly divided over the disputed Himalayan Kashmir region that they both claim.

The president refused to be drawn into the tense India-Pakistan relationship when quizzed about the effect of U.S. military aid to Pakistan by an Indian reporter.

Obama said "it is not the place" of the United States to try to resolve the conflicts from the outside. At the same time, he said America will do what it can to ensure both Pakistan and India feel secure and able to address the needs of their citizens.

One of Obama's first promises at Singh's side was to visit India next year.

He also touted India as a key partner on a range of crucial global issues. He used some of the same complimentary language he displayed while in China, only there he was looking to prod Beijing to do more with its new clout, while with Singh he was lauding what is already happening.

Obama said he and Singh agreed to "work even closer" on sharing information between law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Obama called the two nations "natural allies" on the topic.

"We both recognize that our core goal is to achieve peace and security for all peoples in the region, not just one country or the other," the president said.

Noting that the United States was India's largest trading partner, Obama said broadening trade ties would help create much needed jobs in the two countries, both wracked by economic recessions.

The two leaders glossed over a dispute about commitments to reduce the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming in advance of next month's 192-nation climate change summit in Copenhagen. Developing countries argue that rich countries produced most of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases on their march to development and therefore should bear the main burden of fixing the problem. Wealthy nations like the U.S. and Europe say all countries — including large polluters India and China — must agree to broad cuts in emissions.

Obama said they had moved "one step closer" by joining together in hopes for a successful outcome in Copenhagen, where leaders are no longer expected to reach a legally binding agreement but instead a political deal including emissions commitments and financing for developing countries. But neither Obama nor Singh gave evidence that either country had moved from their previous positions.

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