India likely to agree to eight of 10 draft texts at World Trade Organization meet

 

  India is likely to agree to eight of the 10 draft texts of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) during the ongoing Bali ministerial conference, but may seek negotiations post-Bali on the contentious issues of trade facilitation and public stockpiling of food


However, the option to go in for a negotiation post-Bali would be a last resort but India continues to hope that a consensus will be arrived at over the next 48 hours.
“Those who are speaking up for the poor and the hungry people can not be blamed (if the conference collapses),” Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said, adding that he remains optimistic of a positive outcome.  
 He also stressed that India’s tough stance has nothing to do with the General Elections next years. “...it is not as if we have pulled a rabbit out of a hat,” he said at the specially called media briefing to explain India's stance at the WTO.

Tanay Tapas
PGDM 1st