1)    Commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma said on Tuesday while addressing the heads of missions meeting at a session on “India and Doha Round”, which focused on the following:

·        India’s intention to maintain:

1.     The interests of millions of Indian farmers.

2.     The interests of SMEs.

3.     The aspirations of services industry to get greater market access.

·        Protectionism measures among Western countries such as the “Buy American” law, are delaying economic recovery and prolonging recession.

2)    In an interview with Mint published on 24 August, Harsha Vardhana Singh, deputy director general, WTO said the following:

·        Expectation of a clear road map to emerge from the Delhi talks for the proposed WTO ministerial meeting later in the year in Geneva.

3)    Commerce secretary Rahul Khullar made a statement on Tuesday that included the following:

·        The discussions in Delhi will focus on “process rather than content”.

·        The Delhi meeting is intended to “resume and intensify” the Doha Round of negotiations and should be distinguished from the ministerial meetings convened by WTO.

·        The meeting isn’t the right forum about substantive issues.

·        The objective of the meeting is to keep contentious issues aside and build consensus instead.

·        There will be no declaration at the end of the New Delhi summit.

·        As the chair, India will release a statement summing up the conclusions of the meeting, this will give participating countries the flexibility to interpret the statement.

·        The message India intends to convey is clear, we have taken the initiative to jumpstart the talks unilaterally.

·        The New Delhi meeting comes less than a month after India signed two free-trade deals, one with South Korea and the other with Asean as a clear indication that the country wants liberalised global trade.