Decisions on exports, SSM 'achievements' of WTO meet: Govt

Government today said "favourable" decisions on public stockholding for food security purposes and export competition are among the "achievements" from the WTO's Nairobi meet, concluded recently.
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that in the Nairobi Ministerial declaration, ministers noted that "much less" progress has been made in agriculture and other central components of the WTO's negotiating agenda that includes non-agricultural market access, services, rules and development.
"However, favourable decisions on public stockholding for food security purposes, special safeguard mechanism (SSM) and export competition are among the achievements from the 10th ministerial conference of the WTO," she said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Under export competition, developed and developing countries would phase out export subsidies.
India wants a permanent solution on the issue of public stockholding for its food security programme.
Yesterday, the minister had said that India negotiated "hard" at the recently concluded WTO's Nairobi meeting to ensure that the interest of developing countries remains at the centre of the agenda.
The Nairobi Ministerial Declaration acknowledged that members have different views on how to address the future of the Doha Round negotiations but noted strong commitment of all members to advance negotiations on the remaining Doha issues, she said.