The weighty players in the G 20 wants to have their way by pushing out genuine concerns of the exploited third world countries through a negotiating ploy through which, after having their desire to have these markets opened up, they can tighten the noose. India must hold to its current course in the negotiations. See this 'planted' news item, the west's version of paid news: Source: dgulhati@yahoo.com
In the pamphlet, the SJM, which calls for adopting swadeshi lifestyle to make India prosperous, tells people to use the Indian way of greeting such as "Namaste", "Om" and "Ram Ram", instead of "hello".
http://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/rss-sjm-launch-national-swadeshi-campaign-114071800130_1.html
Concerns mount over India's stance on global trade pact
SYDNEY
A man who runs a government subsidized food shop weighs lentil inside his shop in Chennai July 9, 2013.
(Reuters) - Eleventh hour negotiations to win Indian approval for a breakthrough global trade pact may not have succeeded in the end despite initial signs of progress, sources involved in the discussions said on Saturday.
India is the most prevalent among a group of developing nations angry at rich countries for failing to address their concerns about a deal on trade facilitation - struck by WTO member states in Bali last year - that must be detailed by a July 31 deadline.Proponents believe the deal could add $1 trillion to global GDP and 21 million jobs.
But India’s Trade Ministry said on Wednesday it would “find it difficult" to support the protocol unless it was satisfied that adequate emphasis is being placed on negotiations about food security and other issues important to poor countries -sparking furious negotiations at the G20 Trade Ministers meeting in Sydney.
Three officials involved in the negotiations, speaking under the condition of anonymity in order to speak frankly, expressed exasperation with what they described as a history of erratic behaviour on the part of the Indian trade team that made it difficult to trust.
India has not provided any clear description of exactly what changes it would like made to the agreement, they said, although it would not matter anyway because no concessions were on offer given how difficult the negotiations had proven to conclude the first time round.
The Indian demands appear to have shaken confidence in the new government of Narendra Modi, who came to power earlier this year with a pro-business agenda but now appears set to derail what several officials called the most significant global trade pact in two decades.
Australian Trade Minister Andrew Robb said assurances had been given to all of the signatories to the treaty that their concerns would be met and expressed optimism that it would be resolved before the deadline.
"There was strong resolution around the table that India’s issues to do with food security would and should and will be addressed as decided previously and I think there will be discussions about how to satisfy the Indians and they won’t be left behind," Robb told reporters.
The row over subsidies has raised fears that the so-called "trade facilitation agreement", the first ever global trade agreement under the World Trade Organization, will be derailed.
A deal was only reached after New Delhi extracted promises that its concerns related to food subsidies would be addressed.
India stockpiles food for its poor, putting it at risk of breaking current WTO rules. In Bali, WTO members agreed to give India a pass until 2017, while negotiating a permanent solution.
"We are focused on implementing the full Bali package that will deliver for every country involved," said Michael Froman, the U.S. Trade Representative. "
Editing by Lincoln Feast and Sophie Walker)
India says progress on food not condition for Bali deal implementation
NEW DELHI
A woman winnows wheat crop at a wholesale grain market on the outskirts of Ahmedabad May 7, 2013.
(Reuters) - India's top trade official said the government would not block the world's first global trade deal over lack of progress on food subsidy talks, clarifying New Delhi's stance after an earlier threat to derail the deal.
The deal struck in December in Bali to lower trade barriers was the World Trade Organization's first global agreement since it was created in 1995 and revived global talks after the failure of the Doha round.
Member countries are due to sign a protocol that is a step towards implementation by July 31.
But India has criticised the pact for putting trade facilitation ahead of a compromise on agricultural subsidies, a crucial issue for a country that stockpiles food for its poor.
The disagreement over subsidies has raised fears that India would not ratify the pact reached in Bali, derailing the latest effort to free up to $1 trillion in global trade flows.
Trade Secretary Rajeev Kher told reporters progress on food stockpiling was not a condition for signing the protocol, but reiterated India's position that its concerns on food stock piles should be addressed along with trade facilitation.
"We are not saying there should be no deal. We are simply asking them to address our concerns," Kher said.
Kher said India wanted talks on food security to progress at the same pace as trade facilitiation.
Nirmala Sitharaman, the country's commerce minister, last week told the Financial Times that India would not back that protocol as it was unhappy with the progress of talks on food security that ministers also committed to in Bali.
New Delhi had agreed to back the pact on a promise that its concerns related to food subsidies would be addressed.
While it wants a permanent exemption from the WTO rules, the trade deal has set 2017 as the deadline for recommending a permanent solution pertaining to food security.