US Trade Representative to visit India April 12-15

New Delhi, Apr 5 (UNI) United States Trade Representative Susan C Schwab will lead a high-level delegation to New Delhi from April 12-15 for strategic trade talks and bilateral discussions with senior Indian officials.

Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath along with USTR Schwab will Co-Chair the fourth Ministerial-level meeting of the India-US Trade Policy Forum.

India and the United States maintain one of the world's fastest growing major bilateral trade relationships and are committed to a goal of doubling bilateral trade to approximately US 60 billion dollars by 2008, a release issued by the United States Embassy here said.

''Since President Bush's historic trip to India last March we have made important strides in our bilateral relationship,'' Ms Schwab said.

''The India-U S Trade Policy Forum is an important body to foster bilateral trade and investment opportunities.'' At the Trade Policy Forum, Ms Schwab will discuss initiatives to strengthen bilateral trade ties and achieve progress in the areas of agricultural trade, investment, trade in services, reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers and boosting innovation and creativity.

The India-U S Trade Policy Forum was launched during the visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington DC in July 2005.

The previous Ministerial-level Trade Policy Forum meeting was held in Washington DC in June 2006.

Ms Schwab will hold in-depth discussions with senior Indian officials here on the World Trade Organization Doha Development Agenda, the release added.

She will also attend brief gatherings of the G-4 and G-6 trade ministers to do a stocktaking of progress in the Doha Round.

This will be Ms Schwab's first trip to India since her confirmation by the U S Senate in June last year.

Ms Schwab's delegation includes Deputy US Trade Representatives Ambassador Karan Bhatia and Ambassador Peter Allgeier, Chief Agricultural Negotiator Ambassador Richard Crowder, and Assistant U S Trade Representative for South and Southwest Asia Ambassador Douglas A Hartwick, the release added.

UNI