Indian envoy sees close ties with Obama

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WASHINGTON, March 12 (AFP): A senior Indian envoy voiced confidence Wednesday of close cooperation with US President Barack Obama, even though the administration has focused first on Asian heavyweights China and Japan.

Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, wrapping up talks in Washington, said the world's two largest democracies would work together on a range of issues including bringing stability to Afghanistan-a key priority for Obama.

Menon said the two governments were arranging for Obama to meet with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when they travel to London for an April 2 Group of Twenty (G20) summit.

"We are looking forward to that," Menon said, while adding that India was presuming that Singh-who had bypass surgery in January-would be fit enough to travel.

The United States and India "have a transformed relationship beginning in the 1990s. We have managed to move it forward," Menon said.

"I leave Washington confident that we will be rapidly taking this relationship forward with the new administration."