Kerry to review India-US relations

NEW DELHI: Visiting US secretary of state John Kerry and secretary of commerce Penny Pritzker will co-chair the annual meet to review the entire gamut of India-US

NEW DELHI: Visiting US secretary of state John Kerry and secretary of commerce Penny Pritzker will co-chair the annual meet to review the entire gamut of India-US bilateral ties with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday.

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The India-US strategic commercial dialogue focuses on issues ranging from political cooperation and defence ties to ways to promote business and investments between the two countries.

Apart from the political and defence relationship, ties have grown in many areas in the recent past. In 2015, the bilateral trade reached US$109 billion, up from US$37 billion in 2005. While US investment in India was more than US$28 billion, Indian investment in the US reached more than US$11 billion. The US affiliates of Indian companies employ more than 52,000 workers in the US.

India would make a strong push for greater US support in getting membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) during the forthcoming strategic and commercial dialogue, which would focus, among others things, on business ties, defence cooperation and clean energy initiatives.

This is the last strategic dialogue between the two countries under the administration of President Barack Obama.