Commerce Secretary meets WTO Chief, discusses MC14 priorities

Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal met Director-General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva to discuss key priorities and preparations for the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14).The meeting focused on both the substantive agenda and the preparatory framework required to ensure a positive, balanced and inclusive outcome at MC14. The interaction provided an opportunity to review the roadmap for the upcoming global trade body meeting and deliberate on pressing issues before member nations.
The Permanent Mission of India to the WTO in Geneva shared details of the meeting on social media platform X, stating that the Commerce Secretary highlighted India’s continued commitment to constructive engagement with WTO members and to strengthening a rules-based multilateral trading system (MTS).Director-General Okonjo-Iweala also described the interaction as “thoughtful and productive.” In her post on X, she said she was pleased to receive Agrawal and his delegation, including Additional Secretary Amitabh Kumar and Ambassador Senthil Pandian. She expressed appreciation for the discussions around the substance, process and preparation for MC14, and conveyed her eagerness for continued engagement as members work through complex issues.
In a separate session in Geneva, Agrawal met Permanent Representatives and Ambassadors of several developing countries. The discussions centred on key concerns in the context of MC14 and underscored the need to strengthen the multilateral trading system to better serve member states, particularly developing economies.The meetings highlighted the importance of ensuring that the voices and interests of the developing world are adequately represented in the forthcoming ministerial conference, as negotiations gather pace ahead of MC14.