In what is seen as the first public recognition of India as a "nuclear power", US President Barack Obama Tuesday said it can be a full partner of the US in preventing the spread of atomic weapons and pursuing the shared vision of a nuclear arms-free world.

"As nuclear powers, we can be full partners in preventing the spread of the world's most deadly weapons, securing loose nuclear materials from terrorists, and pursuing our shared vision of a world without nuclear weapons," Obama said welcoming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House in the first state visit of his presidency.