Prime Minister Narendra Modi met World Trade Organisation Director‑General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg. The meeting was highlighted in a quick update posted by the PM on X, where he noted, “Interacted with Director‑General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.”
While the KP’s conversation hasn’t been opened to the public yet, it came at a point when trade matters were front‑and‑center on both the G20 agenda and the WTO’s ongoing review talks. India has been lobbying the WTO on a range of subjects, from agricultural subsidies and food security to fisheries support, e‑commerce guidelines and broader system reforms.
Okonjo‑Iweala is a regular participant in the G20’s discussions on global economic stability, supply‑chain resilience, trade facilitation, and the priorities of developing nations. India consistently argues that multilateral rules should stay balanced and responsive to the interests of the Global South.
The two leaders have crossed paths before, especially during India’s G20 Presidency and at WTO ministerial meetings. Delhi has repeatedly stressed the importance of protecting developing‑country policy space—for instance, maintaining public stockpiles for food security and allowing domestic support for small farmers.
The PM’s interaction in Johannesburg added to a day packed with bilateral and multilateral talks around the summit’s broader themes: economic recovery, digital transformation, institutional reform, sustainability targets, and supply‑chain cooperation.
Okonjo‑Iweala has repeatedly underscored the need to strengthen a rules‑based trading system while ensuring that developing economies reap benefits. India remains engaged in WTO negotiations over fisheries, agriculture reform and the possible future moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions.
All told, this brief face‑to‑face with the WTO chief is part of a series of high‑level discussions India is taking place with global financial and trade bodies during the G20 assembly.
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