===========================================================================
President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Singh of India at G8 Summit
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 9, 2008

President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Singh of India at G8 Summit
Windsor Hotel Toya Resort and Spa Toyako, Japan

˙ /news/releases/2008/07/20080709.wm.v.html ˙˙Presidential Remarks
˙˙Audio

˙˙˙˙˙ G8 Summit 2008

8:23 A.M. (Local)

PRESIDENT BUSH: Prime Minister Singh and I just had a typical conversation
among friends. We talked about common opportunities, world problems, and we
did it in a spirit of respect -- and it was easy for me to do because I
respect the Prime Minister a lot. I also respect India a lot, and I think
it's very important that the United States continues to work with our
friends to develop not only a new strategic relationship, but a
relationship that addresses some of the world's problems.

We talked about the India-U.S. nuclear deal, and how important that is for
our respective countries. We talked about the environment and how we can
work together to grow our economies and, at the same time, be responsible
stewards of the environment. We talked about free trade, the Doha Round,
and how important it is that nations such as India and the United States
find common ground to make sure protectionist sentiments don't wall us off
from the rest of the world.

We talked about educational exchanges. I reminded the Prime Minister that
the Indian American population is very proud of this relationship, and
proud of their heritage, and proud of the leadership of the Prime Minister.

All in all, it was a really good meeting amongst two friends. And so, Mr.
Prime Minister, thank you for joining us today, and congratulations on your
leadership at home.

PRIME MINISTER SINGH: Mr. President, it is a great opportunity for me to
once again meet you and to review with you the state of Indo-American
relations. And I'm very happy to report to the President that our relations
have moved forward handsomely since our first meeting in July 2005. We have
made progress in all areas. We have progress in nuclear cooperation, space
cooperation, defense cooperation, educational exchanges, our working
together in multilateral institutions for the success of the Doha Round.
And I am very pleased with the state of our relationship, which has truly
acquired the characteristic of a genuine strategic partnership.

I thank the President for his personal magnificent contribution to the
evolution of our relationship. And all I can say is our relationship with
the United States has never been in such good shape as it is today. And it
is the intention of my government, as I believe it is also the will of the
Indian people, particularly the thinking segments of our population, that
in this increasingly interdependent world that we live in, whether it is a
question of climate change, whether it is a question of managing the global
economy, India and United States must stand tall, stand shoulder to
shoulder, and that's what is going to happen.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Thank you, sir.

END 8:27 A.M. (Local)

===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/07/20080709.html