[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 9 (Monday, March 6, 2006)]
[Pages 384-385]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Joint Statement Between the United States of America and India on Trade

March 2, 2006

    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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Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.