Obama looking forward to speak to Manmohan Singh

US president Barack Obama is looking forward to speak to the prime minister Manmohan Singh as soon as he gets well, the White House has said.

Singh, who underwent his heart bypass surgery last week is currently admitted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in New Delhi. This is possibly what has kept the two leaders from talking to each other over phone, after Obama took the reins of power on January 20.

"I think the president would like to certainly express and extend his best wishes to the (Indian) prime minister, as he recovers from surgery, and looks forward to talking to him soon," the White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs told reporters when asked about Indo-US relationship between the two countries under the Obama Administration.

"I can give you guys a readout on that (whenever the two leaders talk)," Gibbs said.

This is for the second time in less than a week that Obama has wished speedy recovery to the Indian prime minister.