PM Modi's U.S. Visit: India, U.S. Discuss WTO, Visa, IPR Related Issues

NEW DELHI: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the U.S., a senior American official met Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman and discussed various issues including India's stand in the WTO on the food security issue.

During the the meeting between Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs Caroline Atkinson and Sitharaman, India reiterated its position on the public stock holding for food security purposes at the World Trade organization (WTO), sources said.

Besides, both the sides also deliberated on matters including intellectual property rights, Tantalization Agreement and visa restrictions, they added.

India had decided not to ratify WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), which is dear to the developed world, without any concrete movement in finding a permanent solution.

The U.S. had expressed concerns over India's tough stand in the WTO. India has asked WTO to amend the norms for calculating agriculture subsidies so that the country could continue to procure foodgrains from farmers at minimum support price and sell them to poor at cheaper rates without violating the norms.

The current WTO norms limit the value of food subsidies at 10 per cent of the total value of food grain production. However, the quantum of subsidy is computed after taking into consideration prices that prevailed two decades ago.

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