March 29, 2024 06:30 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
PM Modi has mastered art of manipulating democracy, hurting Constitution: Mallikarjun Kharge | Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest at 63 | NIA arrests key conspirator in Bengaluru cafe blast case | Actor Govinda returns to politics after 14 years of 'vanvas', joins Eknath Shinde camp | 'To browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture': PM posts after 600 lawyers write to CJI
India not joining RCEP: Amit Shah praises PM Narendra Modi for his 'leadership'
PIB

India not joining RCEP: Amit Shah praises PM Narendra Modi for his 'leadership'

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | 05 Nov 2019, 04:01 am

New Delhi/IBNS: In the backdrop of India not joining the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Union Minister Amit Shah praised PM Narendra Modi for his leadership.

"India’s decision to not sign RCEP is a result of PM @narendramodi ’s strong leadership & unflinching resolve to ensure national interest in all circumstances. It shall ensure support to our farmers, MSMEs, dairy & manufacturing sector, pharmaceutical, steel & chemical industries," Shah tweeted.

"PM@narendramodi ’s firm stand over the years of not going ahead with a deal if our interests are not taken care off, is a welcome break from the past, where a weak UPA government ceded precious ground on trade and could not protect national interest," he said.

While the Opposition was gearing up to take on the NDA government,  India on Monday conveyed to the 15 other participating countries of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) that it will not join the grouping in 'national interest'.

The announcement was made at the third RCEP Meet here by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"RCEP negotiations were among the 16 participating countries, and we have conveyed to the leaders of 10 ASEAN countries and its free trade partners that we would not be joining the RCEP," Secretary East in Ministry of External Affairs Vijay Thakur Singh told reporters here.

In the meeting, Prime Minister Modi said, he was "guided by the impact" it would have on the lives and livelihood of all Indians especially "vulnerable sections of the society".

"Modi spoke of Mahatma Gandhi's advice of recalling the face of the weakest and the poorest and then asked if the steps are of any use to them," Singh said.

India had significant issues vis-a-vis the proposed mega trade pact and those "remained unresolved", she said.

Meanwhile, a joint statement issued by leaders of 10 ASEAN countries and its six free trade partners said "India has significant outstanding issues, which remain unresolved. All RCEP Participating Countries will work together to resolve these outstanding issues in a mutually satisfactory way.

India’s final decision will depend on satisfactory resolution of these issues."

India has reservations over the elimination of import duties, market access for its services and easier investment rules. Its big concern is goods trade as domestic industry fears that lower customs duty will see a flood of imports from China.

The leaders said that 15 RCEP participating countries have concluded text-based negotiations for all 20 chapters and essentially all their market access issues; and tasked legal scrubbing by them to commence for signing in 2020.

"We are negotiating an Agreement intended to further expand and deepen regional value chains for the benefits of our businesses, including small and medium enterprises, as well as our workers, producers, and consumers. RCEP will significantly boost the region’s future growth prospects and contribute positively to the global economy,, which commenced in 2013," the statement issued at the end of the 3rd RCEP Summit here said.

It said against the backdrop of a fast-changing global environment, the completion of the RCEP negotiations will demonstrate our collective commitment to an open trade and investment environment across the region.


 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Related Images
PM Modi in Bhutan 22 Mar 2024, 06:53 pm
PM Modi in Tamil Nadu 28 Feb 2024, 07:07 pm