
Nath to attend WTO talks only after trust vote
Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath, who is scheduled to leave for Geneva on July 19 for crucial WTO talks, is likely to delay his departure till July 22 when the UPA government seeks confidence vote in Parliament.
The World Trade Organisation is convening the Ministerial Meeting between July 21 and July 24 of key trade ministers who would get involved in hard negotiations for reaching a blueprint of an agreement on the much-delayed Doha Round.
Nath, a Lok Sabha MP from Chindwara in Madhya Pradesh, not only has a crucial vote in the lower house but is also an ace strategist for the Congress Party, which is reaching out to several small parties and independent MPs for support on the nuclear deal.
While the Commerce Minister has taken approval of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to remain outside the country between July 19 and July 24, he would be required to stay back home for the trust vote.
"In this scenario, the Minister will designate Commerce Secretary G K Pillai to participate in the negotiations on his behalf," an official said.
Although both Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh and Minister of State for Industry Ashwani Kumar are members of the Rajya Sabha, they may not represent Nath because they are not hands-on with WTO affairs.
Nath was to lead India's strong delegation at the Geneva Ministerial Meeting comprising senior officials from ministries of Commerce, Agriculture and Finance.
India, spearheading several alliances like G-20 and G-33 in WTO, is seeking a fair multilateral trade deal devoid of trade distorting subsidies by the developed countries and providing adequate cushion to poor farmers in a liberalised world market.

Messaging app Signal experiencing technical difficulties

Bengaluru emerges as world’s fastest growing tech hub, London second: Report

SC asks Govt's, 61 firms' reply on PIL alleging duty evasion in iron ore exports

PVR reports net loss of ₹49 crore in Q3

DGCA issues guidelines on carrying cargo in passenger compartment of aircraft

Stuck in Kent: How Brexit red tape strangled cross-border trade

Banks in Europe yet to fully feel pandemic’s impact, warns ECB

RBI drains ₹2 trillion in a bid to nudge shorter rates higher

GAIL announces ₹1,046.35 crore share buyback

UK economy pushed into reverse by November lockdown

World shares follow Wall St lower as traders mull Joe Biden plan

Ant is working on timetable for overhaul: Chinese central bank

Trump’s Move Cost Bosses at China Tech Giant $4.5 Billion

RAI urges govt to allow retailers to register under MSMEs
