India-US focusing on expanding ties: Piyush Goyal

By Reena Bhardwaj
San Francisco [US], September 6 (ANI): India and the United States are focused on expanding their relationship and for that, both countries are in a dialogue to come up with the next move for enhancing their bilateral ties, said Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal who is on a six-day visit to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
"I believe our three Ts of partnership are based on trust, technology and talent. We (India and US) have a robust trade policy forum... in many ways. We are focused on expanding this relationship. Gina (US secretary for commerce) and I are in dialogue to very quickly come up with our next commercial dialogue. Time is just ripe for all of us to engage in areas of mutual interest," he said at US-India Strategic Partnership Forum.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal is in the US from September 5-10.
Speaking on the India-US trade partnership, Goyal said that both the countries are clearly focused on international trade and engagement.
"I'm just sharing this to maybe tickle and excite your imagination that maybe you can start pushing the American government to have a rethink on their (Free Trade Agreement) FTA policy so that they don't miss the bus. Because we're very clearly focused on our international trade and engagement," he told to the members of USISPF.
While addressing the forum, the Union Minister said that India and Canada are expected to seal an Early Progress Trade agreement by December.
"Canadian Minister (Minister of International Trade) Mary and I are very confident that we would be done with our Early Progress Trade agreement by December," he said.
Further speaking over Israel, Goyal said: "Israel is actually right to be done, but I still don't think we have got a good enough deal or a proposition that is attractive because of the small population size and their unwillingness to open up on services otherwise Israel could also have been done. Both of us are keen to do it, let's see how it goes."
The Union minister mentioned that the EU second round of discussions will happen soon. "There are 27 countries so it will take longer. But India is opening up discussions on never before subjects like gender, environment, SMEs, labour and anti-corruption laws," he said. (ANI)