File Photo: Chairman of the US House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs Ed Royce. (Agence France-Presse)
American leader Ed Royce has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and appealed for increasing bilateral trade and counter-terrorism cooperation between the US and India.
US Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of the powerful US House Foreign Relations Committee called on Mr Modi yesterday. He is leading a Congressional delegation to India.
Describing his meeting with Prime Minister Modi as the "highpoint" of his current India trip, Mr Royce, the former Co-Chair of the Congressional India caucus, said India and the US wants to see a five-fold increase in bilateral trade between the two countries.
The economic reforms are a step in that direction, he said.
"If our governments cut through unnecessary red tape,"the goal of increase in bilateral trade could be achieved much faster, Mr Royce told PTI.
"I congratulated the Prime Minister for the budget that took the important step of lowering corporate tax rate to 25 per cent. That would help lure investors into India," Mr Royce said.
He also talked with the Prime Minister of his own experience in what has been achieved in Gujarat after the devastating earthquake a decade ago.
"It was truly impressive," Royce said. "My hope is that the type of reforms he brought as Chief Minister to Gujarat State, would bring as Prime Minister to India and that it will change some of the dynamics (of doing business in India)," the top Republican lawmaker said.