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"NEW DELHI: Easier trade in services including movement of services professionals across borders is set to top India’s agenda when the World Trade Organisation chief Roberto Azevedo visits the country next month.Azevedo, the director general of the WTO, is likely to meet commerce and Industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 9. Sitharaman will also raise India’s concerns on food security, which remains an unfinished agenda at the multilateral organisation, officials said. “For us, the Doha Development Agenda is priority and also our services agenda, not only Mode 4,” said an official privy to the development.Mode 4 services refer to the temporary entry and stay of overseas professionals. India will pitch its services agenda, following up on a proposal submitted to the WTO on Trade Facilitation in Services, which envisages a liberalised visa regime with multiple entry visas, visa-free travel for foreign tourists and longterm visas for business community, among other things.Azevedo’s visit assumes importance as it comes ahead of the 11th WTO ministerial conference to be held in Argentina in December which is expected to see a tug of war between developed countries that want to bring in topics apart from the existing Doha issues and developing countries, which don’t want new issues until the unfinished issues including food security get resolved.He had last visited India in 2013 after taking charge as the WTO director general. Azevedo is expected to meet Sitharaman this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos. E-COMMERCE E-commerce is likely to come up during Azevedo’s visit since he will attend an International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) event on February 8.In May last year, business leaders including those from the ICC had identified e-commerce as an area where the WTO needed to take action such as facilitating cross-border trade by simplifying regulations and standards, and the establishment of global rules on e-commerce, including for cross-border data flows.They had also called for developing an investment facilitation framework aimed at improving transparency, sharing information, and simplifying administrative procedures in national investment regimes. Follow and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook"
<https://cfo.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/services-trade-to-top-indias-agenda-during-wto-chiefs-february-visit/56584882>