Reports: President Obama is giving serious consideration to speeding up the withdrawal of United States forces from Afghanistan; India has expressed willingness to launch negotiations with the U.S. on a bilateral investment treaty; India’s Finance Ministe
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    • (JULY 8-14)

    According to reports, increasingly frustrated by his dealings with President Hamid Karzai, President Obama is giving serious consideration to speeding up the withdrawal of United States forces from Afghanistan and to a “zero option” that would leave no American troops there after next year, according to American and European officials. President Obama is committed to ending America’s military involvement in Afghanistan by the end of 2014, and Obama administration officials have been negotiating with Afghan officials about leaving a small “residual force” behind. But his relationship with Afghan President Karzai has been slowly unraveling, and reached a new low after an effort last month by the United States to begin peace talks with the Taliban in Qatar.1

    In another development, according to reports, India has expressed willingness to launch negotiations with the U.S. on a bilateral investment treaty to bolster trade ties between the two countries. India’s commerce and industry minister, Anand Sharma, who spoke to reporters in Washington on July 12 after discussions concluded with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and other senior U.S. officials, said no dates were set for the first round of negotiations on a bilateral treaty for Indian and U.S. investment. The treaty “was discussed today, and we have signaled our acceptance,” Minister said, adding that a $500 billion annual two-way trade target, significantly higher than the current volume of $106 billion a year, was achievable “if we make a real effort.” 2

    In other developments, reports noted that Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on July 8, left for the United States on a four-day visit. Chidambaram will deliver the keynote address at the plenary session of US India Business Council 38th Leadership Summit on July 11. During his visit, Chidambaram is also expected to meet the leading US business leaders, including Brad Smith, Microsoft's General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Corporate Affairs, Pat Dewar, CEO, Lockheed Martin International, Scott Price, CEO, Asia, Walmart, Henri Croupon, CEO, ILFC and Sheperd W. Hill, President, Boeing International among others. He is likely to discuss the issue of investment by US companies in India especially in infra sector, various policy measures taken by the Government to boost investment in the country and tax related matters among others. Beside above, Chidambaram will also meet his US counterpart and US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew during his visit. 3

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