Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, left, with President George W. Bush at their one-hour breakfast meeting at Bush’s suite in the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York on Sept. 21. It was Bush’s first bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly session. (Photo: AFP)

NEW YORK: India and the United States have resolved to intensify a rapidly evolving “strategic partnership” that includes closer defense ties and cooperation in civilian nuclear and space technology, after a 60-minute breakfast meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President George W. Bush on Sept. 21.

Both leaders, who were meeting for the first time on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, agreed that ties between the two countries “have never been as close as they are at present, and they set the direction for further development of the India-U.S. strategic partnership.”

The two leaders met in Bush’s suite at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in what was the American president’s first engagement in New York. Indian officials described the talks as “relaxed, friendly and substantive” that included issues ranging to war on terrorism to the India-Pakistan dialogue, strategic cooperation, Iraq, Afghanistan and Nepal.

The two covered the entire spectrum of Indo-U.S. relations, endorsing what is called the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) to expand cooperation in the areas of civilian nuclear activities, civilian space program and high technology trade.

They also agreed to expand dialogue on developing cooperation in missile defense as well as areas of joint military exercises that both countries have been undertaking for some time.

Also discussed was the ongoing India-Pakistan dialogue and Manmohan Singh’s Sept. 24 meeting with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf here. The U.S. has supported the ongoing peace process and would like both countries to settle differences, including those over Kashmir, peacefully.

Singh emphasized to Bush that the peace process could progress only if Pakistan stopped cross-border terrorism. Bush, according to Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, who briefed the media accompanying the prime minister, expressed “appreciation and understanding” of India linking the peace process to the ending by Pakistan of cross-border terrorism.

Bush said terrorism was a global phenomenon and the war against it had to be fought globally and could not be segmented, an apparent endorsement of New Delhi’s long-held position on the issue.

Those present with Manmohan Singh from the side were External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh, National Security Adviser J.N. Dixit, Foreign Secretary Saran and Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Ronen Sen.

The American side included Secretary of State Colin Powell, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and former U.S. Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill, who is now coordinator for strategic planning in the National Security Council.

Since the discussions centered largely on bilateral relations, the two countries agreed to strengthen their “economic partnership” and expand cooperation on international economic issues.

Bush described India as a nation that had a “huge potential for economic development” after Manmohan Singh spoke about his government’s commitment to deepening and broadening the process of economic reforms.

Manmohan Singh, significantly, did not raise the issue of India’s aspiration to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council with Bush –– a subject he had spoken about before leaving New Delhi as well as during his confabulations with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London –– as Indian officials said that the discussions merely centered on all aspects of their bilateral ties.

Singh was scheduled to be in New York for five days. He arrived here on Sept. 20 evening from London after meeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair.