India Pushes for Fair and Inclusive Global Trade Reforms at WTO Meet

Yaounde, March 27: India strongly advocated for a more balanced and transparent global trade system as Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal  represented the country at the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization currently underway in Yaounde Cameroon.

Addressing a high level ministerial dialogue on the core functioning of the WTO, Goyal underlined that any reform process must be inclusive and driven by member nations while placing development at the centre. He stressed the importance of preserving key principles such as non discrimination, consensus based decisions and fairness in global trade practices.

The global conference began on March 26 with an inaugural session chaired by Cameroon’s Trade Minister. The event brought together senior representatives from member countries along with WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. India was represented at the opening ceremony by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal.

On the sidelines of the summit, Goyal met Cameroon Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute to explore opportunities for enhancing bilateral cooperation. He also held discussions with WTO leadership and trade ministers from several countries including the Netherlands, France and Ethiopia to strengthen economic engagement.

Parallel diplomatic engagements were carried out by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, who interacted with representatives from nations such as Chile, Paraguay, the United States, Nepal, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, along with delegations from the European Union. These discussions focused on both the WTO agenda and expanding trade partnerships.

Talks with Chile and Peru reviewed progress in ongoing free trade agreement negotiations, while interactions with the European Union and New Zealand assessed developments in recently concluded trade discussions.

The day concluded with a formal reception hosted by the Cameroonian government, marking the beginning of a series of crucial deliberations expected to shape the future direction of global trade governance.