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Skriven 2006-03-02 23:33:04 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0603026) for Thu, 2006 Mar 2
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U.S.-India Joint Statement on Trade
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 2, 2006

U.S.-India Joint Statement on Trade



India and the United States agree that trade is essential to promoting
global economic growth, development, freedom and prosperity.

We fully share the goal of completing the WTO Doha Development Agenda (DDA)
before the end of 2006, and agree to work in partnership to help achieve
this outcome.

During our discussions, we agreed to meet the task with ambition,
determination and a readiness to contribute, consistent with our roles in
global trade, and to keep the development dimension in focus. The system of
trading rules to which our two great democracies have contributed immensely
must be strengthened. Towards this global cause, we recommit ourselves and
invite all key participants to demonstrate their leadership.

We agree that a successful Round depends upon progress in all areas of the
negotiations if we are to meet our goal of promoting development through
trade. We are committed to a DDA result consistent with the mandates
already agreed that realize a substantial outcome in all three pillars of
the agriculture negotiations (domestic support, export competition and
market access); significant improvements in market opportunities in
manufacturing and services; and appropriate disciplines, including
transparency of regulatory practices in services. We also believe we should
strengthen the rules that facilitate trade, where we have jointly made
proposals. Work in all these areas must go hand in hand.

We agree to pursue an ambitious agenda for the first half of
2006,consistent with the important milestones that were set at the Hong
Kong Ministerial for agriculture, manufacturing, services and other issues,
and continuing to press for the goal of concluding the negotiations by the
end of 2006.

We will continue to work to promote reform, respond to the concerns of
developing countries, and create opportunities for growth for all. We are
building the trading system of the future, where progressive liberalization
and reform result in improvement in standards of living for all, in
particular for the millions of poor across the developing world.

While working for a successful Doha Round, we also reaffirm our commitment
to strengthen and deepen bilateral trading ties. We note with satisfaction
the successful implementation of our initiative to create the U.S.-India
Trade Policy Forum and the CEO Forum to this end, and in particular the
achievements in the areas of agricultural trade, investment, trade in
services, the reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade, and
spurring innovation and creativity. We agree to promote innovation,
creativity and technological advancement by providing a vibrant
intellectual property rights regime. As two dynamic economies with many
complementary interests, the U.S. and India will seek to enhance bilateral
trade and investment ties by expanding private sector contacts, dismantling
barriers to trade, building trade capacities and strengthening
trade-promoting institutions.

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