Talks fail; India says food subsidy concerns have to be met
Picture used for representational purpose. (Photo: PTI/File)
New Delhi/Geneva: WTO talks on the trade facilitation agreement to ease customs rules collapsed in Geneva late Thursday night as India insisted that its concerns on food subsidies be met.
The trade facilitation deal, whose draft was agreed in Bali in December last year, was to be finalised by Thursday. But India refused to ratify the deal until a permanent solution is found on the question of food subsidies given to a large number of poor people and small farmers.
What angered India was that while the trade facilitation agreement to ease customs rules was being pushed, no attention was given to its concerns on food subsidy and food security issues as promised earlier.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi told US secretary of state John Kerry here on Friday that developed countries should “understand” challenges of poverty in developing nations and their governments’ responsibilities to address them.
( Source : dc )
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