Joe Biden hails Manmohan Singh's pivotal role in strengthening US-India ties

Mourning the passing of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh US President Joe Biden has called him a true statesman and credited his strategic vision and political courage for the unprecedented level of bilateral cooperationSingh who was Indias prime minister for 10 years from 2004 to 2014 died in New Delhi on Thursday night He was 92The unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the Prime Ministers strategic vision and political courage Biden said in a statement as he and the First Lady Jill Biden joined the people of India in grieving the loss of the former prime ministerThe unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the Prime Ministers strategic vision and political courage From forging the USIndia Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between IndoPacific partners he charted pathbreaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations and the world for generations to come He was a true statesman A dedicated public servant And above all he was a kind and humble person Biden saidThe outgoing US President said he had the chance to meet Prime Minister Singh as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2008 and as Vice President during his Official State Visit to the United States in 2009He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013 As we discussed then the USIndia relationship is among the most consequential in the world And together as partners and friends our nations can unlock a future of dignity and unlimited potential for all of our people Biden saidAs we discussed then the USIndia relationship is among the most consequential in the world And together as partners and friends our nations can unlock a future of dignity and unlimited potential for all of our people he continued as per the statementDuring this difficult time we recommit to this vision to which Prime Minister Singh dedicated his life And Jill and I send our deepest condolences to former First Lady Gursharan Kaur their three children and all the people of India Biden saidSingh who passed away on Thursday night due to agerelated medical conditions is remembered for his role in shaping Indias modern economic landscape His legacy includes the economic liberalisation reforms he introduced as Finance Minister in 1991 which opened Indias economy to global marketsDuring his tenure as Prime Minister from 2004 to 2014 Singh worked to strengthen Indias global standing especially in its relationship with the United States and foster regional cooperation through initiatives like BRICS