Union Minister Piyush Goyal meets WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, met the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Sunday in New Delhi.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala arrived in New Delhi late on Thursday in preparation for the September 9–10 G20 Summit.

Notably, India has been a participant in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since 1995 and in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) since 1948.

Two separate WTO cases involving specific measures on steel and aluminium items as well as additional levies on specific US-made products were settled amicably by India and the US in August of this year.

Beforehand, India and the US amicably settled each of the six WTO-pending trade issues.

This was consistent with the commitment made by the two leaders, US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the former’s official visit to the US.

On December 1 of last year, India took over as G20 president and 60 cities around the nation hosted 200 G20 meetings.
Meanwhile, PM Modi declared the G20 Summit to be over on Sunday and suggested holding a virtual G20 meeting in November to discuss the recommendations and proposals made at the main platform for global economic cooperation.

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“As you are all aware, India is in charge of the G20 chairmanship through November 2023. You all made a lot of suggestions and submitted proposals throughout these two days. It is our responsibility to investigate how they can advance more quickly, according to PM Modi.

“I suggest that we convene a virtual G20 gathering at the end of November. In that virtual session, we can go over the issues that were decided during this Summit. I’m hoping that everyone will join the online meeting. I now pronounce the G20 Summit to be over,” he continued.

PM Modi offered Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva the ceremonial gavel of the Group of 20 presidency before announcing the summit’s conclusion.

PM Modi remarked, “I hand over the gavel of Presidency and congratulate the Brazilian President and my friend Lula da Silva.”
Before the third session of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received saplings from Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

Brazil will assume the G20 leadership following India, who held it last year when Indonesia was in office. At the G20 Summit in Bali last December, India assumed the G20 presidency, which it will hold till the end of November.

On Saturday, the first day of the Summit, the G20 leaders endorsed the New Delhi Declaration.

On Sunday morning, the G20 leaders went to Rajghat to honor Mahatma Gandhi.