Nirmala meets WTO chief, Brazilian min over food issue

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today met WTO chief Roberto Azevedo and trade ministers of countries such as Brazil with an aim to push for finding a permanent solution to the food security issues and protection to poor farmers.
She held deliberations with WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo and explained him about the importance of conclusion of Doha Round and permanent solution, sources said here.
"The WTO DG has stated that he understands the position of India. India has made it clear that food security and peace clause should not be used as a bargaining chip," they said.
Sitharaman also met her counterparts from Brazil and Lesotho and held talks over the issues.

She explained the ministers about the importance of special safeguard mechanism for farmers of developing countries including India, sources said.
Tomorrow, the minister will hold about five bilateral including with Kenyan Trade Minister Amina Mohamed.

India has also made it clear that special safeguard mechanism (SSM) was very important to protect poor farmers as it gives protection from surge in imports or dip in global commodity prices.
"India has enough reasons to demand for SSM because the
type of tarrifs which India and other developing countries have to protect farmers are not effective," sources said.
They said that as this meeting is happening in Nairobi, all the African countries are expressing views that WTO should not die here.

During the four-day WTO meet starting here tomorrow, India wants the multi-lateral body to deliberate on pending issues of the Doha Round and deliverables of the Bali package, including issues of the least developed countries.
Under the special safeguard mechanism (SSM), the developed countries want developing nations including India to agree to the SSM instrument when imports surge on a sustained basis by 40 per cent over the previous year, while India insisted that the mechanism can come into play if imports rise by about 10 per cent over the previous year.
On the other hand, in a letter to WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has encouraged WTO members to show their political will and necessary flexibilities to deliver a successful outcome.