Obama calls PM, says Indo-US ties 'very important'

New Delhi: US President-elect Barack Obama today telephoned Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and said the US-India strategic relationship is a "very important partnership" and the administration wants to work together with India on all important global issues.

Mr Singh congratulated Mr Obama on his victory and said it would inspire "oppressed people" all over the world.

Mr Obama told Mr Singh that he wished to make an "early visit to India".

During the phone conversation, Mr Obama said that the US-India strategic relationship was "very important", according to a statement issued by the Indian prime minister's office.

"The prime minister said that relations between India and the United States were very good but that we could not be satisfied with the status quo," the statement added.

The telephone call came after the Indian media suggested that Obama had ignored New Delhi after being elected by calling several other world leaders first, including President Asif Ali Zardari of India's arch rival Pakistan.

Singh on Monday dismissed the suggestion, saying Obama had tried to get in touch with him earlier but couldn't establish contact as he was traveling.

The Prime Minister said Obama had written a “very warm” letter even before he was elected President. “I had myself written a warm letter to him,” he said.

“I received a very warm and detailed letter from him spelling out his approach to India, his approach to international affairs. Therefore, I have every reason to believe that India’s relations with the US under President Obama will become stronger than ever before,” Singh said.

The PM 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,” the PM said.

Ties between the two countries have been on an upswing with the recent signing of the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement by President Bush after being approved by the US Congress.

The deal ended India's nuclear isolation and recognised the world's largest democracy as the de facto sixth nuclear power.

Analysts say the nuclear agreement will bring India and the United States even closer as the once estranged democracies become more engaged on common interests in Asia and the world.