US to focus on 'early wins' at Delhi dialogue, says US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker

MUMBAI: The 2-day India-US strategic dialogue starting tomorrow will cover a wide range of issues with focus on "early wins" that will build momentum for the expanding economic ties, US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said here today.

"Our objective on the economic front is to try to re- invigorate the economic relationship between our two countries and to look for early wins where there is an opportunity for us to build momentum as opposed to focus on where the challenges are," she said.

"The conversation over the next couple of days is really wide ranging, it's a strategic dialogue," Pritzker said during an interaction with PTI after meeting captains of industry during her first visit here as Commerce Secretary.

She will be joining Secretary of State John Kerry who is leading a high-level delegation for the annual Indo-US Strategic Dialogue with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi beginning tomorrow.

Kerry will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The fact that your Prime Minister has leaned forward to encourage foreign direct investment is something our businesses are trying to take advantage of and what we want to do is to facilitate that from a government-to-government relationship standpoint," Pritzker said.

When asked about the slow movement on the Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation and whether it would feature in the parleys, Pritzker said: "There is an opportunity to move it forward.

"I think there is an opportunity to look into the challenges that face that deal and also there is an opportunity to move it forward. I have talked to some Indian business leaders who think there is a way to address the challenges".