US asks India to focus on global challenges

Chennai, June 25 : India has to exercise leadership on common challenges and opportunities to become a major player in the global community, United States Consul General David T Hopper said here today.

Addressing a function organised by the Consultative Committee of City Chambers of Commerce here, Hopper said India should lead from the front in matters like climate change, energy security, non-proliferation, global trade and investment.

He called for adopting a common stance between India and US in areas like infrastructure investment, financial sector liberalisation, bilateral investment, clean technology and multilateral trade.

Commenting on the state of infrastructure investment in India, he said that India needed to support accelerated growth in developing physical infrastructure like roads, ports and airports, power generation, water supply and sewage and communication links.

On the Doha talks, Hopper said the US regarded Doha as an opportunity to counter poverty by facilitating trade flows between all nations in agricultural goods and industrial products.

Hopper said the US would monitor progress on services and agreement on modalities for agriculture and non-agriculture market access to conclude an agreement by the year-end.

To achieve results, a Doha deal must include substantial reduction of applied agriculture and manufacturing tariffs and new liberalisation of services, he said.

Mentioning that developing countries are major beneficiary of the international trading system, he called upon India to provide leadership to move the Doha negotiations forward.

ANI