India and the US on Tuesday kicked off the first strategic and commercial dialogue with a focus on boosting trade ties and enhancing regional security ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with President Barack Obama.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj highlighted the priority areas in bilateral ties as they inaugurated the Indo-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.
Swaraj said India and US are on a path of increased cooperation.
“This is a very busy time for India and US relations. Its important that we set timelines to achieve our targets,” she said thanking Kerry for very fruitful discussions between the two countries ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US.
Kerry said India and the US together can shape up more secure and prosperous future.
He said the US was not satisfied with the current level of bilateral trade at USD 100 billion and expressed confidence that it could be increased five-fold in the next few years.