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India-US: India to hold eco reforms till LS elections

| Updated: Tuesday, June 25, 2013, 16:18 [IST]

New Delhi, June 25: In a rather flat confession to the US, India has admitted that economic reforms in the field of retail and FDI will have to wait till the next Lok Sabha elections, due next year, as approval from the parliament for the same would be impossible. Thus, pushing the Indo-US strategic dialogue into the cold-storage again.

According to a report in India Today, two delegations, comprising the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia; PM's adviser Sam Pitroda, besides foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai and Indian ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao, met with the US secretary of State John Kerry for over 4 hours.

Sources said that India urged US to understand the situation of the Indian government and that reforms could only happen in areas that required the executive decision and not involved the Parliament. According to sources, Kerry brought up the US woes on economy when Ahluwalia intercepted stating the UPA's problem.

With the current bilateral trade of goods and services at $108 billion, the US is keen to begin talks on bilateral investment treaty pertaining to trade policy forum, the agricultural dialogue ad the commercial dialogue to try and level out the economic differences between the two countries.

Among the other difficulties, the US government mentioned the difficulty in the Indian liability laws for the setting up of nuclear reactors. However, both the parties agreed that they would resolve the issue before the Indian PM's visit to the US in the month of September. Although there were passing discussions on India's concern with Pakistan, both the parties stayed clear of the topic.

In New Delhi

New Delhi: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry having a look of a special oven at an event, US-India Green and Affordable Innovation in New Delhi.

In New Delhi

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with innovators during an event, US-India Green and Affordable Innovation in New Delhi on Monday.

In New Delhi

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with young alumni of State Department programs looks at the 14th century Tomb of Muslim rulers during their walk at Lodhi gardens in New Delhi on Monday.

With Manmohan

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry during a meeting in New Delhi on Monday.

Hyderabad House in New Delhi

Minister of Foreign Affairs Salman Khurshid and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry shake hands at a news conference at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Monda.