U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Manmohan Singh in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington (Reuters file)
U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Manmohan Singh in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington (Reuters file)Reuters

For Manmohan Singh, his last tenure as the Prime Minister of India might not have been a glorious one but US President Barack Obama, in a letter to the outgoing Indian PM, appreciated the economic reforms introduced by him.

Following Narendra Modi and his party BJP's win in the 2014 general election, Singh resigned on 17 May, and soon after Obama had called him up to wish him well. However, the American President has now wrote a letter to the departing PM of India, to express his "gratitude for the critical role" that Singh played in "defining and expanding the strategic partnership between India and the United States".

Obama noted that he has keenly followed the economic measures brought in by Singh, even before he became the US President.

"Even before I became President, I greatly admired your dedication to alleviate India's poverty, primarily through economic reforms. Your efforts lifted millions out of poverty and positioned India for its transformation into a global leader," the US President stressed.

Speaking on the Indo-US strategic ties, Obama wrote: "Your leadership helped strengthen a strategic relationship that will have a long-lasting impact on our citizens and is already making the world a safer, more prosperous place.

"With boldness and vision, during your 10 years in office, you challenged our two nations to deepen our defense ties, engage in civil nuclear commerce, expand trade, and collaborate on clean energy technology while working through our differences."

Obama also pointed out that the US and India and have held several joint missions in the last few years.

"We joined together to fight terrorism, prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and promote peace in Afghanistan. We also embarked on substantive, strategic exchanges that have helped shape our shared views of global developments, allowing us to coordinate and respond more effectively to breaking events."

Obama also commended the former Indian PM for his "resolve to reach out to Pakistan, which showed the path to a stable, peaceful South Asia."