G7 Summit: PM Modi Seeks Support For TRIPS Waiver At WTO; Stresses On International Solar Alliance

New Delhi: Committing India’s support for collective endeavours to improve global health governance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought support of the G7 for the proposal moved at the World Trade Organization (WTO) by India and South Africa for a Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver on Covid related technologies.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Additional Secretary (Economic Relations) P. Harish on Sunday said Prime Minister Modi’s call was strongly echoed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

READ: PM Modi Seeks G7’s Support In Covid Patent Rules Waiver, Here’s What It Means

“Calling on the G7 to demonstrate leadership, PM Modi sought their strong support for India and South Africa’s proposal for a TRIPS waiver at WTO,” ANI quoted Harish as saying.

The MEA official said the G7 leaders and guest countries had a detailed discussion on the need for reforming global health governance.

“India has been actively engaged with international communities at level of G20, G7 and World Health Assembly on various aspects related to dealing with current pandemic,” he added.

Harish said there was widespread support in deliberations for text-based negotiations on the India-South Africa proposal at the WTO.

“On the need to make finances available to different vaccine manufacturing hub in the world, there was a general agreement to increase its capacity in various regional production hubs and provide financing, technology transfer and skilling in these regions,” he added.

The MEA Additional Secretary (Economic Relations) said that Prime Minister Modi today spoke in two sessions on climate change and open societies.

“On climate change, the PM called for collective action, recognizing that this challenge can’t be addressed in silos. He shared that India is the only G20 country on track to meet its Paris commitments,” said Harish.

“PM Modi spoke on the need for open & democratic societies to work together and strengthen each other’s hands to defend the value that they hold dear and to respond to the increasing challenges,” he added.

The MEA official informed that French President Emmanuel Macron also highlighted the need to focus on ramping up production capacity in Africa and called on India to lend its expertise as an important production hub globally.

He further said the three broad tracks of discussion over the past two days focused on vaccines and recovery from Covid-19, environment and climate change, open societies and open economies.

Asserting India’s engagement with G7 and guest countries stands on its own, Harish said this is for the first time that India has been engaged in ministerial and working-level tracks as a guest country.

ALSO READ | Big Boost To ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’, Budgetary Support For Defence Innovation Approved

“Our engagement was fruitful, productive and we hope to take forward our engagement in various initiatives including in the run up to COP26,” he added.

Stating Prime Minister Modi attended the G7 Summit virtually, the MEA official said: “The UK conveyed to us that while PM Boris Johnson was disappointed at not being able to welcome PM Modi in person at the summit. He was understanding and supportive of his decision.”

Responding to a poser on whether the issue of Chinese aggression was raised by the Prime Minister during the meeting, Harish said the issue was not raised at the meeting and added there are other forums where such issues are also discussed.