US President George W. Bush has asked the Congress to approve $ 770 million as aid against the current global food crisis, even as he urged the countries to lift restrictions on agricultural exports. The proposed aid is in addition to the existing $ 200 million assistance that has already been provided by the US. "I am calling on the Congress to provide an additional $ 770 million to support food aid and development programmes. Together, this amounts to nearly $ one billion in new funds to bolster global food security,' Bush said, speaking at the White House yesterday. "And with other food security assistance programmes already in place, we're now projecting to spend nearly -- that we will spend nearly $ 5 billion in 2008 and 2009 to fight global hunger,' he stated. While the US would stay in the "lead' in terms of providing food assistance, "other countries have a role to play as well,' the US President said. "We're working with G8 partners and other developed nations to secure commitments from their governments for additional food aid,' he said. The embattled President, who is pressured domestically as well as internationally to act on the looming crisis, also asked the countries to remove export caps on agricultural goods. Bush also sought to link the global food crisis to the Doha Round arguing that it was all the imperative to get the trade round finalised.