India ready to re-engage with WTO members in Sept

With its stand on food security leading to a stalemate at the WTO talks in Geneva, India today said it is committed to the global trade deal without compromising on its interest, and will re-engage with members when talks resume a month from now.
"WTO will open in September. We are prepared to engage on day one with a clear understanding that our position with regard to food security and our commitment to Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is 100 per cent firm," said a highly placed source in the government.
India, the source said, wants TFA and food security issues pass the muster together and "we will work towards that".

The World Trade Organization (WTO) will resume work from September 1.
"We look forward to receive support from our other member friends in the WTO and we will start the negotiation process again," the source said, adding that the refusal of the developed world to accept Bali's proposal as a package led to the failure of talks at the General Council meeting in Geneva yesterday.
Rejecting the accusations that India is a deal breaker, sources said that Bali is alive as the General Council cannot go beyond the mandate agreed to by the Ministerial Meeting in Bali last year.

"The interest of more than a billion poor farmers can not be compromised for a deadline (July 31). This position, we maintained in the past and today also. We are still committed to TFA," the source added.

Commerce Secretary Rajeev Kher said the WTO will be on vacation for a month and during this time India will focus on follow up action.
"This is a good enough time to think about our follow up action. Obviously, our proposal is there on the table and we will pursue our proposal," he told PTI.
India has suggested to establish special sessions to resolve its food security related issues and has proposed the deadline of December 31.