In a welcome ceremony at the White House today, President Clinton praised Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's commitment to forgo nuclear testing until a treaty banning all such testing is signed, and he expressed hope that the two countries will strengthen their ties.

"It is not only India's democracy, but India's manner of achieving democracy that will forever inspire America," Clinton said, standing next to Vajpayee on the south lawn of the White House. "From very different histories, India and the United States have forged a common bond, arising from our common commitment to freedom and democracy. Our challenge is to turn our common bond into common achievements."

Clinton said the two countries will continue to work together on defeating AIDS, reducing poverty, protecting the global environment and expanding the global economy.

The meeting was a sign of warming relations between India and the United States after years of tension, particularly during the Cold War, when India had ties to the Soviet Union and the United States was allied with rival Pakistan. Clinton last March became the first American president in more than 20 years to visit India, and he welcomed the opportunity today to return the hospitality during Vajpayee's five-day Washington visit.

Clinton praised India, the world's most populous democracy, as a "rising economic leader, making breathtaking strides in information technology."

He made no direct reference to U.S. opposition to India's testing of an underground nuclear device in May 1998, a move that prompted Pakistan to conduct tests of its own. The United States has pressed India to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, but that effort was undercut by the Senate's rejection of the treaty last year.

Vajpayee also welcomed a stronger relationship with the United States. "This is a time of new hope and new opportunities in Indo-American ties," the leader of India's Hindu Nationalist Party said.

After the ceremony, Clinton and Vajpayee met for more than an hour. At Vajpayee's request, the White House canceled a planned news conference. The 73-year-old prime minister, who has been suffering from a knee ailment, has a very busy schedule and was feeling exhausted, White House officials said.

Vajpayee also was scheduled to have a luncheon meeting with Vice President Gore today. He has spoken by telephone with Texas Gov. George W. Bush and plans to return to India on Sunday. He addressed a joint session of Congress yesterday.