Manmohan Singh was a 'true statesman', says Joe Biden paying tribute to former Indian PM
US President Joe Biden described former Indian PM Manmohan Singh as a 'true statesman' and a 'dedicated public servant' while paying tribute to the architect of the South Asian country's economic reforms.
Singh died in New Delhi on Thursday.
His last rites were performed on Saturday with full state honour.
Referring to the role Singh played in forging the India-US Civil Nuclear deal, Biden said: "The unprecedented level of cooperation between the United States and India today would not have been possible without the Prime Minister’s strategic vision and political courage."
He said: "From forging the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement to helping launch the first Quad between Indo-Pacific partners, he charted pathbreaking progress that will continue to strengthen our nations—and the world—for generations to come."
Biden said: "He was a true statesman. A dedicated public servant. And above all, he was a kind and humble person."
Biden referred to his meeting with Singh and wrote in his statement: "I 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 2009."
"He also graciously hosted me in New Delhi in 2013. As we discussed then, the U.S.-India relationship is among the most consequential in the world," Biden said.
India bid farewell to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who is hailed as the architect of the country's economic liberalisation, with full state honours in the national capital Delhi on Saturday.
Singh was given a gun salute.
President Droupadi Murmu, prime minister Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi were amongst those who paid their final tribute to the man, who was one of the longest serving PM of India.
Manmohan Singh rose to prominence as the country's finance minister during the Congress regime headed by PV Narasimha Rao during 1991-96, for bringing sweeping reforms that transformed the economy.
As the two-term UPA Prime Minister, he stayed at the top post from 2004 to 2014 and served as a member of the Rajya Sabha till early this year.
He retired from the Rajya Sabha in April.
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