Barack Obama's visit 'defining moment' in Indo-US relations

India and the US dubbed President Barack Obama's visit to India in November as a "defining moment", during a bilateral meeting between external affairs minister SM Krishna and secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

During the 30-minute meeting, both the leaders discussed several issues including Afghanistan, floods in Pakistan, climate change talks, Indo-US nuclear co-operation and sanctions on Iran.

"A defining moment in the history of our bilateral relations," is how the two leaders described Obama's visit, according to Robert Blake, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia.

Blake further pointed out that the Obama administration realised that "everyone had a stake in India's emergence as a global power" and described the "reciprocal visit" as "momentous and consequential".

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was Obama's first state guest, last year.

Blake described the rest of the meeting as "very friendly and useful," and also noted that Security Council reform would also be discussed during Obama's upcoming visit.

Blake, however, did not indicate, which way the US was leaning, and only said that the reforms were "under discussion".

Clinton thanked India for its commitment to Afghanistan and the developmental assistance it had provided.

Both the leaders agreed that New Delhi and Washington needed to work closely on climate change related issues ahead of the conference in Cancun, at the end of the year.

Clinton told Krishna that US felt that the sanctions against Iran were working and hoped that the international community would support these sanctions.

Commenting on Indo-Pak ties, Blake said there were bound to be "irritants" in the "complicated relationship" shared by India and Pakistan.

Pakistan's foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, this week, called for US intervention in Kashmir.

Blake, however, noted that the Kashmir issue was not discussed at the meeting.

Clinton noted that she looked forward to meeting defence minister AK Antony and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee.

Blake and US under secretary of state for political affairs William Burns, will be visiting India before Obama's first presidential visit to the country.