June 25, 2006
WASHINGTON: India and the US have decided to initiate a bilateral infrastructure investment programme and cooperate on an action plan in intellectual property rights.
The two countries also agreed to address sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues including mango exports from India and US exports of almond, wax covered fruit and wheat.
Besides, India and US would set up a working group on legal services to discuss market access, discuss tariff structure to facilitate wine and spirits trade and create a private sector adjunct to the Trade Policy Forum.
The decisions were taken during the third ministerial-level meeting of the Forum here, chaired by Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and US Trade Representative Susan Schwab, an official release said.
Nath and Schwab agreed on a number of
initiatives to strengthen and deepen the bilateral trading relationship with a
view to double two-way trade in three years.
"We remain committed to doubling trade over the next three years, and improving the regulatory, customs and intellectual property protection climate is key," Schwab said.
Nath said the Forum has emerged as a very effective medium for the two sides to enhance trade and investment.
The Forum was launched during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington in July 2005. The inaugural ministerial session of the Forum was held in November 2005 in New Delhi, while the second session was in February this year in Washington.
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