Biden meets PM to improve ties: Here's what they discussed

US has stressed the need forremoval of bottlenecks to enhance trade ties with India andemphasised on the reforms process to encourage business asVice President Joseph Biden held meetings with top Indianleadership, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Biden, who arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a four-day maidenvisit, held comprehensive talks with Singh after which,sources said, the Prime Minister will undertake a bilateralvisit to the US from third week of September and will meetPresident Barack Obama apart from attending the UN General

Assembly in New York.

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The probable dates mentioned are September 20-26 but thereis no confirmation.

[caption id=“attachment_981371” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Biden meets PM[/caption]

According to the sources, the two sides discussed ways toboost trade ties, with Biden expressing concerns of Americancompanies and stressing on the need to remove hurdles to dobusiness here. On his part, Singh also emphasised the need forgreater commercial engagement for India to meet its own quest

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The Cumulative FDI Equity Inflows from the US during theperiod April 2000 to January 2012 amounted to about $10.36billion, constituting 6 percent of the total FDI into India.

The two leaders also discussed the situation in theregion with Biden describing US withdrawal plans fromAfghanistan and future strategy for the peace and stability there, the sources said, adding another important component oftheir talks was energy, including supply of LNG from the US.Singh and Biden discussed a whole range of issues,including implementation of the landmark civil nuclear dealand ways to enhance commerce, the sources said. The twoleaders agreed to take these issues forward.

In this context, the Prime Minister told Biden that helooks forward to meeting Obama in September, the sources said.During the meeting with Biden, Singh conveyed his bestwishes to Obama.The US Vice President started his day with a meeting withhis Indian counterpart Hamid Ansari during which they had a

wide ranging discussion on various aspects of bilateralrelations as well as regional issues including Afghanistan.

During the meeting, Ansari spoke of the need forcontinuous attention for building the partnership that isbased on shared values and on his part Biden also emphasisedthat enhanced economic engagement was in the interest of bothcountries, sources said.

Biden also outlined President Obama’s and his ownpersonal commitment and interest in expansion of India-USbilateral relations and referred to India’s own Look Eastpolicy and its complementarity with the US re-balancingtowards Asia.The two Vice Presidents also reviewed the regionalsituation especially the entire gamut of issues relating toAfghanistan.

The Vice President also called on President PranabMukherjee and held meetings with Leader of Opposition SushmaSwaraj.Before his scheduled departure for Mumbai, Biden attendedthe dinner by Ansari hosted in his honour.

PTI