India's blocking of WTO deal disappointing: Stephens

US Ambassador Kathleen Stephens who took over charge as Charge d'Affaires ad interim to India in June today said that India blocking the agreement on new global customs rules on the lines of Bali ministerial declaration of 2013 was 'disappointing'.
"My country and all other countries in the WTO framework were disappointed as India made a changed stance in July last," Stephens said at an informal interaction with reporters here.
She said that had India agreed to the new global customs rules, then it could have been an enormous step for trade facilitation for smaller countries as well.
India blocked an agreement on new global customs rules on 24 July saying that there should be a permanent solution on public stock holding for food security for the hundreds of millions of poor people as well as a package for least developed countries.

"I hope that India can play a pro-active role in the multilateral WTO forum not only for other nations, but also for its own interest as well", Stephens, who took over charge after the resignation of Ambassador Nancy Powell, said.
"We expected the protocol to go through, but for India, it did not," Stephens said.