Goyal to attend G-7 trade ministers' meet in Osaka on Oct 28

The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body of the WTO.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will attend the two-day meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) trade ministers in Osaka, beginning October 28, an official statement said on Thursday. The minister will also hold bilateral meetings with a few G-7 countries, invitee nations, and a few international organisations, such as the World Trade Organization, on the sidelines, the commerce ministry said.

Under its Presidency this year for the G7 trade ministers meeting, Japan has invited India, along with a "very few" other invitee countries (Australia, Chile, Indonesia, and Kenya) to participate in the outreach programme to be held on October 28, it said. Besides, International organisations like WTO, ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia) and OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) have also been invited. Trade ministers of G7 member states hold an annual meeting with the aim of meeting the current global challenges and to set the course for a better future.

This year, Japan has selected contemporary topics, such as how to enhance supply chain resilience and promote trade and sustainability – environment, development and digital, including prospects for WTO MC13.  The 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) is scheduled for February 26-29 in Abu Dhabi. The Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body of the WTO. The G7 is an inter-governmental political forum consisting of the US, UK Japan, Italy, France, Canada and Germany. The European Union is a non-enumerated member. These countries constitute 10 per cent of the world’s population and cater to around 40 per cent of the world GDP.