External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday held discussions with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on the two countries’ shared commitment to boost trade and economic ties to $500 billion. This was Ms. Swaraj’s first telephone conversation with a foreign counterpart after assuming charge.
Ms. Swaraj, a Ministry spokesman said, briefed Mr. Kerry on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meetings with South Asian leaders earlier this week, and underlined the government’s commitment to improve bilateral ties.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms. Swaraj have a string of upcoming opportunities to meet with their counterparts in the U.S., notably during the U.N. General Assembly in September and the G-20 meet in Brisbane in November. Leaders of both countries have been pushing for expanding trade, but efforts have remained deadlocked. The U.S.-India Business Council, representing corporations from both countries, said efforts were needed to increase foreign direct investment in the defence sector, e-commerce and insurance. It called for reforms in tax legislation, and progress in implementing the India-U.S. civil nuclear deal. In April, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Biswal pointed to obstacles in the way of investors, noting that India ranked 134 out of 189 countries as a place to invest.
Nancy Powell, who retired recently as U.S. Ambassador to India, also said in a speech that achieving the $500-billion target “will require both governments to make some tough, but vital, decisions.”
