U.S. Commerce Secretary hopeful of WTO deal by Thursday
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker held out hope that differences with India over a deal on easing global trade would be resolved and an agreement would be reached by the end of a WTO deadline on Thursday.
New Delhi has insisted that, in exchange for signing up to the trade facilitation agreement, it wants to see more progress on a parallel pact giving it more freedom to subsidise and stockpile food grains than is allowed under WTO rules.
"I am an optimist, I am hopeful that within the period of today...that there is a common ground that is found," Pritzker, who is accompanying Secretary of State John Kerry for an annual strategic dialogue with Indian government leaders, told NDTV.
(Reporting by Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)