NEW DELHI, Mar 2 (UNI): Is a Bush-Manmohan friendship in the making like the Bush-Blair, Bush-Putin camaraderie? The answer is yes, if the crackling chemistry and palpable bonhomie between the leaders of the world's two biggest democracies is any proof.
George W Bush and Dr Manmohan Singh warmed up to each other like two old friends as the world saw the US President and the Indian Prime Minister strike a close personal equation.
The warmth the two leaders enjoy in each other's company was evident right from the start.
As Bush came out of the Air Force One last night, Dr Singh was there are at the airport, breaking protocol.
Sporting a big smile, Bush put his hands over the shoulder of the Prime Minister and patted him on the back.
He was also seen whispering into the ears of Dr Singh.
It has taken only five meetings for the two leaders to forge a bonding that that world has come to recognise in the relationships of Bush with Prime Minister Tony Blair and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
An extrovert, Bush's genial and gregarious nature has of course contributed to the friendship, which could signal a new era in the Indo-US relations.
The American Time Magazine has frontpaged the new-found friendship between the two leaders in its latest issue with a cover story titled 'Let's be Friends'.
The magazine says Bush had made a beeline for Dr Singh at the 60th anniversary celebrations of World War II in Moscow last year and introduced him to his wife Laura saying "This is the Indian Prime Minister." The two leaders met for the first time in September 2004 when they had a breakfasting meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
They met again in Moscow last year and at the G-8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland later.
This was followed by the historic July 18 meeting last year in the US when Bush offered a landmark civilian nuclear deal to India.
They met again at the United Nations General Assembly where Dr Singh addressed the world leaders in September last year.
