I am here to promote business ties with India:US Consul

Ahmedabad, Jan 13 (PTI) US consul general ofMumbai Paul Flomsbee today said that he was here to promotebusiness ties between India and his country.

"Reason that I am here is to promote trade betweenIndia and the US. This is about business," Flomsbee said on aquestion of his participation in the Vibrant Gujarat summit.

Flomsbee became the first US Consul General toparticipate in the Vibrant Gujarat summit.

"We believe in business to business and people topeople partnership. US had a big presence in the summit asmany companies represented it. Our focus was on small andmedium scale industries here," Flomsbee said.

Relationship between the two countries has taken a bigleap after the visit of President Obama, he said adding thatthe major announcement was made by him on the US support toIndia on permenant security council seat.

He said US-India bileteral trade has reached 40billion US dollars.

He refused to give answers to the question of US visato Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

Modi was denied visa by the US government after the2002 communal riots.