US seeks shift from aid to investment, Christopher Landau says economic deals should drive diplomacy

New York, Sep 25 (UNI) US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has called for a major shift in American economic diplomacy from traditional aid programmes towards investment-driven partnerships, saying long-term commercial deals can create jobs, infrastructure and lasting economic ties between countries. Speaking at a "Trade Over Aid Deals Showcase" here, Landau said economic and commercial relations had for decades taken a back seat in diplomacy, even though creating prosperity and economic opportunities for people should be at the "core of diplomacy". "Ultimately, those of us who are working for governments that are democratically elected have to show our…