WASHINGTON, May 1:
A new Government in India provides an ideal opportunity to turn areas of contention into areas of collaboration, according to a top US trade official, who underlined that America has made its intentions clear that it does not favour a confrontist approach.
“The remarkable history of this bilateral relationship in just the last 20 years tells us that this is not only possible, but essential if the world’s two largest democracies are to demonstrate successfully the defining partnership that President (Barack) Obama identified as a key feature of this century,” said US Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman.
In a blog on USTR website, after the release of the Special 301 Report in which the US did not list India under the punitive Priority Foreign Country as being demanded by a section of American businesses and lawmakers, Froman called for renewed and intensive engagement with India as elections conclude and new counterparts take office.
“The election of a new government in India provides an ideal opportunity to turn areas of contention into areas of collaboration,” he said.
“In light of the election in India currently underway, we have decided to look to an Out-of-Cycle Review focused on India this Fall to evaluate our ongoing engagement on issues of concern with respect to India’s environment for intellectual property (IP) protection and enforcement,” he wrote.
Acknowledging the pressure from the industry and others, even as the US Government shared the same concerns on deteriorating environment for IP protection and enforcement in India, Froman explained that in determining how to proceed in this year’s report, the USTR carefully considered the range of stakeholder views and how to most effectively make progress with respect to addressing these concerns.
“In announcing this year’s determination with respect to India, we are redoubling our efforts to seek constructive engagement that will both improve IP protection and enforcement in India and support India’s efforts to achieve a decade of innovation and advance its legitimate public policy goals, including access to affordable medicines,” he said.
Froman said the Special 301 Report highlights an opportunity for building on India-US bilateral relationship in the critical area of intellectual property.
“We believe that an environment conducive to the protection and enforcement of IP can be part of solving pressing domestic policy challenges,” he said.
“We consider this to be the case whether we are speaking of attracting investment, promoting manufacturing, promoting green technology, or providing high-quality and affordable healthcare,” he said, adding the report identifies opportunities for improved engagement on issues related to IP and access to medicines.
“We believe an enhanced discussion of a broad range of trade and innovation policies—as they relate to important domestic policy objectives—would be an ideal area for further bilateral collaboration,” he noted.
The Special 301 Report, he said, also identifies other key opportunities for strengthened bilateral cooperation.
For example, the US and India are home to some of the world’s most vibrant creative industries—including in film, music and software—industries that face serious piracy challenges at home and abroad. (PTI)
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