India, US agree to address bilateral issues before PM visit

The US Trade Representative Michael Froman and India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma met on the sidelines of the Economic Ministers of the ASEAN at Bandar Seri Begwan in Brunei

India and the US today agreed to address their outstanding bilateral issues related to trade and investment before the September visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the United States.

The US Trade Representative Michael Froman and India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma met on the sidelines of the Economic Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at Bandar Seri Begwan in Brunei.

"Froman underscored the importance of achieving progress on outstanding bilateral issues of concern on trade and investment between the United States and India prior to the meeting of our leaders," a USTR release said.

On a working visit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to meet the US President, Barack Obama, at the White House on September 27.

"As in an earlier meeting of all ASEAN Economic Ministers today, Ambassador Froman also reiterated the value for the broad membership of the World Trade Organisation in seeing current talks on a package of agreements move forward, including a binding trade facilitation agreement that will benefit all countries, especially developing ones," USTR said.

Froman noted the short time for all members to come together with good will to work toward results at the 9th Ministerial Conference of the WTO in Bali, Indonesia this December, the statement said.