Indian PM hopes to deepen ties with Britain

Manmohan Singh said he looked forward to deepening a 'strategic partnership' with Britain after Blair won a historic third term in office.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday he looked forward to deepening a "strategic partnership" with Britain after his British counterpart Tony Blair won a historic third term in office.

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"I look forward to working closely with you to develop the strategic partnership between Britain and India, the broad contours of which we set out during our meeting in London last year," said Singh in a message of congratulations released here.

Singh met Blair in London in September en route to New York to attend a United Nations General Assembly session.

"It gives me great pleasure to greet you on your handsome victory and in having won a historic third term in office. My warmest congratulations on this very impressive achievement," Singh said in his message.

The prime minister said he hoped to take the dialogue process between India and Britain forward during Blair's new term in office.

"We will also have fuller opportunity to look at all aspects of our bilateral relationship when you come to New Delhi in September. A very warm welcome awaits you here," Singh said.

Blair's Labour party made history Thursday when it snared an unprecedented third straight term in power, winning 355 seats in the 646-seat House of Commons against 197 for the Conservatives and 62 for the Liberal Democrats.

Smaller parties and independents took the remaining seats.

Singh is due to meet Blair when the Group of Seven major industrialised countries meet in Scotland in July.