Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh today said that a strong and sustained engagement between India and United states is good for the people of the two countries and the world. Speaking at the State Banquet hosted by President Barack Obama in White House, Dr. Singh said that India and the United States are embarking on a new phase of strategic partnership. Singh is the first foreign leader to be hosted as the State Guest under the 10-month-old Obama Administration. Earlier, at a joint press conference, Obama said India is a rising and responsible global power and US-India relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century. In the joint statement issued after the Summit level talks between President Obama and Dr. Singh, the two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism. The two leaders underscored the absolute imperative to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai terrorist attack.<br/><br/>Besides the Memorandum of Understanding on 'Advancing Global Security and Countering Terrorism', the two sides signed pacts covering education and development, health cooperation, economic trade and agriculture, and green partnerships. They affirmed their commitment to work together to prevent the spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction – and missile-related technology and to realize their shared vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.<br/><br/>Recognising that energy security, food security and climate change were linked, and that eliminating poverty and ensuring sustainable development and a clean energy future were foremost global objectives, the two leaders agreed to enter into a Green Partnership. Recognising the role in promoting a successful and substantive outcome at the UNFCCC 15th Conference of Parties at Copenhagen in December, the two leaders affirmed that the Copenhagen outcome must be comprehensive and in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and should reflect emission reduction targets of developed countries and appropriate mitigation actions of developing countries.<br/><br/>They also announced launch of an Indo-US Clean Energy Research and Deployment Initiative, which is supported by US and Indian government funding and private sector contributions. Recognising the need to create the clean energy economy of the 21st century, Prime Minister Singh and President Obama agreed to launch a 'Clean Energy and Climate Change Initiative'.<br/><br/>President Obama and Prime Minister Singh launched the'Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative'.