U.S. Hopes Progress In Indo-Pak Trade Ties After LS Elections

Through the New Silk Road vision U.S. has been focusing its efforts in four key areas - creating regional energy markets that link Central with South Asia; Boosting transportation routes and investing in critical infrastructure; Improving customs and borders; and linking businesses and people.

"From CASA (Central Asia-South Asia)-1000- which will bring surplus hydropower form Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan - to TAPI - the Turkmenistan- Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline - the U.S. is supporting the countries of the region as they build the economic and energy linkages that will transform their individual and collective economies.

"We have focused on easing the constraints to trade in this least connected part of the world. U.S. technical assistance has helped reduce custom procedures by nearly half in Afghanistan, dramatically reducing border release times," Biswal said.

On the eastern front of South Asia, with the political transition in Myanmar, there is a historic opportunity to connect South and South East Asia into an integrated economic landscape. The past several years have seen significant movement on that front as well, she said.

"India and ASEAN, who have been dialogue partners for 20 years, summit partners for 10 years, and now strong trade and investment partners with a FTA in services - have cultivated a lasting bond, with great complementarity to our own ties with the 10-nation bloc," Biswal said.

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