21 Nov :The absence of US President-elect Barack Obama at the recent G-20 Summit in Washington was like a Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh quipped on Friday, in a reference to the protagonist of the famous Shakespearan play.
"In some way, this conference (of G-20) was like a Hamlet without the Prince of Denmark," Dr. Singh said on Friday at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit while pointing out that the Bush Administration was going to demit office in a few weeks.
At the same time, Singh, who attended the G-20 summit, suggested that such a meeting would have more meaning once the new administration of Obama assumes charge in the US.
Singh, however, said Bush had assured the G-20 meet that his officials were in touch with the incoming Obama administration and they have an agreed programme of action.
Obama had stayed away from the unprecedented financial summit on the ground that he did not want to dilute the importance of the incumbent President and that "US has only one President at a time."