Obama congratulates Singh on second term

WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has congratulated India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his second term in office and invited him to the White House.

In a phone call Saturday, Obama told Singh India's election -- the largest democratic election in the world -- was a testament to the strength of India's democracy.

Singh and Obama recalled meeting in London last month and talked Saturday of their mutual desire to strengthen U.S.-India relations and to resolve the global economic downtown, climate change and terrorism.

Singh is the 17th prime minister of India and the first of Sikh faith to hold the office. An economist by profession, Singh was governor of the Reserve Bank of India and finance minister of India before becoming prime minister.