US Govt to open Treasury Attache's office in Delhi

Bangalore, Sep 13 (UNI) The United States Government will soon open a Treasury Attache's office in New Delhi, which would focus on investments in energy and infrastructure sector, besides investigating issues like money laundering.

Disclosing this at a meeting with members of the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Mr John Davison, Economic Minister Counsellor at US Embassy in New Delhi, said ''We are looking specifically at money laundering issues, apart from investments in energy and infrastructure sectors.'' He said the US Government had planned expansion of its offices in the country by drafting about 40 counsel officers in its three offices in New Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai. It would also be expanding its foreign agricultural office, he added.

Mr Davison said the US Government had also decided to post a councellor in Hyderabad. This comes in the wake of a long-standing demand by successive Governments in Andhra Pradesh. Chennai was the fourth largest HI visa distribution centre in the world, with Mexico topping the list, he added.

Intellectual Property Rights was one of the major concerns of the US Government and it was in active consultation with the Indian Government on this issue, he said.

The US would be sending the biggest-ever trade delegation to India in November and the number of delegates might anywhere be between 250 and 500. An SME forum was also slated to visit Hyderabad in January next, he added.

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