Minister explains India's Stand in WTO on TFA
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, NOV 28, 2014: INFORMING the Parliament on India's stand in the WTO, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman today said that as per the Bali Ministerial Decision, the Trade Facilitation Protocol was to be open for acceptance by Members until 31 July 2015. WTO Members have now decided to leave this open-ended. This would enable them to complete their internal processes for acceptance of the Trade Facilitation Protocol.
"When I stood before this House on 5 August I expressed confidence that India would be able to persuade the WTO Membership to appreciate the sensitivities of India and other developing countries and see their way to taking this issue forward in a positive spirit. And we have accomplished this without any concessions, compromise or new conditions," she added.
She said that India has been able to achieve a breakthrough because it was negotiating from a position of unassailable strength in the interests of those vulnerable sections who have no voice. A just cause, clearly articulated and backed by the strong leadership of our Hon'ble Prime Minister, made for a compelling argument. This ensured that our concerns were heard, understood and addressed, added she.
The Minister observed that this positive outcome reaffirms our faith in the multilateral trading system and proves that this is the forum that offers the best chance for developing countries to participate on equal terms in international trade. For that reason it is important to make our concerns known in time, ensure that development aspects remain in focus and to make all efforts to bring trade talks back on course when required.
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