Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said that US President-elect Barack Obama had tried to speak to him but the contact could not be established because of "paucity of time" and his travel.
"No, this is not true," Singh said when asked if the newly elected US President had ignored India by not calling him.
"President Obama wanted to talk to me day before yesterday (November 8) (but) we could not establish contact because the time that was suggested was too short for me (to establish contact). Since then, I have been travelling... as soon as I go back (we will try to establish contact)," Singh told reporters on way back to New Delhi from his maiden three-day visit to the energy rich Gulf region.
Obama had phoned fifteen world leaders, including Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari after being elected US President.
As Singh did not get any call from Obama, there were suggestions that the next US President was ignoring India. Singh said Obama had written to him a "very warm" letter even before he was elected President.
"I had myself written a warm letter to him," he said.
Singh was hopeful that Indo-US ties under Obama will be further strengthened.
"I got a very warm letter from him, a detailed letter spelling out his approach to India, his approach to international affairs and therefore, I have every reason to believe that India's relations with the US under President Obama will become stronger than ever before," he said.
Singh was hopeful that Indo-US ties under Obama will be further strengthened. "I got a very warm letter from him, a detailed letter spelling out his approach to India, his approach to international affairs and therefore, I have every reason to believe that India's relations with the US under President Obama will become stronger than ever before," he said.
The prime minister said he had received immediate acknowledgement of the condolence message he had sent to Obama on the death of his grandmother.
"I also condoled his grandmother's death and he immediately acknowledged that letter," Singh added.
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