India Described As Generous Supporter Of Commonwealth

LONDON: India has been praised for its generosity towards the Commonwealth trade facilitation process at the close of the Commonwealth Trade Ministers' Meeting in London today. 

Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said the two-day summit marked a "pivotal point" in relations between the 52-member "family", which was determined to exploit the "Commonwealth advantage".

"India has been incredibly supportive in relation to our trade facility and committed considerable amount of resource to the trade facilitation process, concentrating on SME [small and medium enterprise] and other interaction. It has been very warming to see the generosity and enthusiasm that has come from India to participate fully," she told reporters at a briefing today. 

"We all know that we've been living in troubled and troubling times and we will have to look very carefully together at what advantages there are within our family. Therefore intra-Commonwealth trade has never been more important. It is an opportunity therefore to look at the 'Commonwealth Advantage' that says there is a 19 pct trade advantage for us," she said. 

Ministers and representatives from 35 Commonwealth countries attended the first-of-its-kind meeting, with India represented by Commerce Secretary Rita Neotia. 

The delegates focused on opportunities for the Commonwealth to strengthen collaboration by promoting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment flows. 

India's focus was on highlighting ease of doing business reforms in the country and efforts to build an export economy. 

The post-Brexit reality for Britain as it exits the European Union (EU) is seen as the driving force behind this renewed focus on the Commonwealth and the meeting stressed that "no country should be left behind" in the post-Brexit landscape. 

"For the UK, all trading arrangements are now up for grabs. What easier and better place to trade than with countries with shared associations for many years. We speak the same language and we have same basic rule of law. We need to come up with an accord that underlines that position," said Lord Marland, chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). 

"Businesses want to see stability, transparency, predictability and the rule of law and the Commonwealth can work together to improve the ease of doing business in all member countries," he added. 

The meeting concluded with an agreement to consider the recommendations for practical initiatives that can be taken up at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) to be held in London in April 2018.

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