,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bheg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #bg1    
#bjaf,mr4 ,cornyn 7for himself and ,mr4 
,warner7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,foreign ,relations  ,a  
,,bill  ,to direct the ,secretary of    
,state to develop a strategy to obtain  
membership status for ,india in the     
,asia-,pacific ,economic ,cooperation   
7,,apec71 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,participation of ,india in the         
,asia-,pacific ,economic ,cooperation   
regional economic forum  7a7 ,findings  
,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the
 ,republic of ,india is the world's     
ninth largest economy in nominal terms  
and the third largest economy based on  
purchasing-power parity4  7#b7 ,the     
,united ,states-,india partnership is   
vital to ,united ,states strategic      
interests in the ,asia-,pacific region  
and across the globe1 and is an integral
 aspect to the ,administration's        

,rebalance to ,asia4  7#c7 ,united      
,states-,india bilateral trade and      
investment continue to expand1          
supporting thousands of ,united ,states 
jobs4  7#d7 ,the ,asia-,pacific         
,economic ,cooperation 7,,apec7 regional
 economic forum is the premier          
,asia-,pacific economic forum with a    
goal to support sustainable economic    
growth and prosperity in the            
,asia-,pacific region4  7#e7 ,,apec     
works to champion free1 open trade and  
investment1 to promote and accelerate   
regional economic integration1 to       
encourage economic and technical        
cooperation1 to enhance human security1 
and to facilitate a favorable and       
sustainable business environment4  7#f7 
,,apec held a moratorium on new         
membership from #aiig to #bjaj1 which   
has since been lifted4  7#g7 ,india has 
pursued membership in ,,apec for over   
#bj years1 and became an ,,apec observer
 in ,november #bjaa at the invitation of
 the ,united ,states1 when the forum met

 in ,hawaii4  7#h7 ,india enjoys a      
location within the ,asia-,pacific      
region which provides an avenue for     
continued trade and investment          
partnerships with ,,apec member states4 
7#i7 ,india has been or is pursuing     
bilateral or multilateral trade         
agreements with the majority of ,,apec  
member states4  7#aj7 ,india's ,look    
,east1 ,act ,east strategy to expand    
economic engagement with ,east and      
,southeast ,asia demonstrates its effort
 to pursue external oriented1           
market-driven economic policies4  7b7   
,actions ,the ,secretary of ,state      
shall-- 7#a7 develop a strategy to      
obtain membership status for ,india in  
,,apec1 including participation in      
related meetings1 working groups1       
activities1 and mechanisms2 and  7#b7   
actively urge ,,apec member states to   
support such membership status for      
,india4  7c7 ,report ,not later than #fj
 days after the date of the enactment of
 this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state    

shall submit to ,congress a report1 in  
unclassified form1 describing the       
,united ,states strategy to obtain      
membership status for ,india in ,,apec4 
,such report shall be updated and       
submitted annually until such time as   
,india obtains membership in ,,apec4    
,each such report shall include the     
following3  7#a7 ,a description of the  
efforts the ,secretary has made to      
encourage ,,apec member states to       
promote ,india's bid to obtain          
membership status4  7#b7 ,the further   
steps the ,secretary will take to assist
 ,india in obtaining membership status  
for ,,apec4