Indo-US trade ties have made great strides: Royce.
AB Wire
WASHINGTON, DC: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA) is leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to India, from March 7 to March 10.
In New Delhi, Royce will seek to further strengthen the U.S.-India partnership, including encouraging stronger trade ties and counterterrorism cooperation. In meetings with senior Indian officials, he will advocate for continued progress in U.S.-India civilian nuclear cooperation and stress the need for greater economic cooperation through the implementation of a Bilateral Investment Treaty.
During the visit, Royce and the delegation will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Royce said in a statement: “There is a longtime, deep partnership between the United States and India, and I am pleased to be visiting as Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. Having long co-chaired the India Caucus, I have seen this partnership grow to become a defining relationship in Asia. With the election of Prime Minister Modi, the U.S. and India have a unique opportunity to strengthen our economic and security relations. Our trade ties have made great strides in recent years, but we have yet to tap into our true potential. Having played a key role in the passage of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement, I’d also like to see steps taken towards the implementation of this important agreement. I’ll be stressing all of these issues in our meetings with top Government of India officials.”
Royce, former co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, helped build the caucus to become one of the largest in the House. He met multiple times with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited the United States in September. Royce also attended a U.S. Government-only meeting with Modi at Madison Square Garden, where he discussed U.S.-India economic and security ties.
Royce was instrumental in the passage of the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Agreement of 2006, managing the bill on the House Floor. He has also been a strong proponent for enhancing U.S.-India security ties, and has long spoken out against the threat of radical extremism originating from Pakistani Deobandi schools.