Kerry Urges India Not to Block Global Trade Reforms | WPN World People News

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in New Delhi, urging India to drop its opposition to global trade reforms that economists say would stimulate the world economy.

Thursday is the World Trade Organization's deadline for adopting the reforms.

Kerry said earlier this week that India's willingness to support a rules-based trading system would attract greater investment from the United States and around the world.

India has said it would not back the trade reforms unless it is also allowed the right to buy grain from farmers at above-market prices, stockpile it, and sell it to the poor at government-subsidized prices.

WTO rules say stockpiled food can only be sold at market prices.

Kerry is in New Delhi for the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue. He is the first high-level U.S. official to meet with the new Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi.

Along with trade, U.S. and Indian officials also plan to talk about climate change, energy issues, and what the State Department calls the robust people-to-people ties.

Source: Voice of America