Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s Opening Remarks to the Indo- US CEO’s Forum

New Delhi
March 2, 2006

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have already welcomed President George Bush and Mrs Bush on this their frist visit to India. I would now like to welcome the US CEO’s who have traveled to Inda for this meeting.

The President and I have just concluded our official discussions and I am sure he shares my pleasure in being able to meet with the CEO’s group. The establishment of this group last year was an important initiative aimed at creating a parallel track in which the private sectors of the two countries could interact and lay out a road map for cooperation.

I would like to thank the two Co-Chairs Mr. William Harrison and Mr. Ratan Tata and their colleagues for the work done in preparing the report which they will now present.

I have been briefed on the main recommendations and I am happy to say that some of the recommendations are already reflected in the decisions which the President and I have taken today. I will have more to say on the other recommendations a little later.

I now invite President Bush to share his thoughts and initiate the discussion.