New Delhi: Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweal on Friday said that he hoped positive results in developing developing countries and Mariaman, including India, that their voice would be heard.
“I hope good results and I feel a lot of support from the Indian side,” the WTO head told reporters after meeting PM Narendra Modi.
PM supports a multilateral regime and seeks support to achieve Indian goals and other developing countries, he said.
During his meeting, India repeatedly looked for balanced results, with a special emphasis to resolve problems related to agriculture, while ensuring that reforms in the WTO was initiated, something expected to be handled at the meeting of the minister next month in Geneva.
While India wants a limited agenda on the problem that has been on the table for more than 20 years now, especially agricultural subsidies in developed countries, there are indications that the WTO membership will encourage to expand the mandate of talks to include “new problems” and those who are being discussed among a group of countries and have not been approved by all members.
The broader agenda for ministers can include problems such as packages to overcome the addition of a fisheries agreement, handling some lingering problems in the agricultural sector, new regulations regarding the service sector (negotiated by a group of countries), as well as deciding talks around MSMEs and women and trade, which is balanced by India.
“Fishing and agriculture have been there for a long time.
After 20 years, we must try to finish it,” said Okonjo-Iweal, added that India’s concerns about food security could be understood.
He also said that it was important to get a permanent solution for peace clauses in public ownership because temporary assistance was limited to countries such as India, and other developing countries also needed a solution.
In the existing rules, there is a limit on the number of grains for public procurement programs.
While India managed to extract peace clauses that encourage other countries from taking problems in the WTO, wanting the problem to be resolved once and for all.
“I can’t guarantee the results but I will ask members to push it,” said the head of the WTO.