India, Africa on same page on WTO issues: Nirmala Sitharaman

By Kirtika Suneja

Commerce minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said that India and Africa are on the same page on issues related to the World Trade Organization. Her statement comes in the wake of India bringing up the issue of food security and protecting its farmers' interest at various fora such as the G-20 and garnering support for these issues.

“We briefly discussed food security, stock piling issues. We discussed WTO. Keeping in mind that WTO ministerial is happening in Africa for the first time…India and Africa are on the same page on WTO,” Sitharaman said after the fourth India-Africa Trade Ministers’ meeting here today.

New Delhi has been on the forefront of safeguarding its farmers’ interest at the WTO and was able to secure a permanent peace clause for the same last year. With the ministerial talks on the horizon, India needs to garner support and push this cause further.

Commenting on the positions that the two parties will take or have taken, Mike Bimha, Zimbabwe’s industry and commerce minister said: “There is a lot of preparation on those lines…We need participation and support from India. There is an alignment on India’s and Africa’s position (on WTO issues).”

Bimha, who jointly addressed the press conference with Sitharaman said because of the similarity in the two parties’ positions, this position can be effectively represented in the Nairobi ministerial of the WTO in December and one can talk of an effective outcome there.