Excellencies, distinguished delegates, a very good morning to you all.  

• Thank you chair for giving me the floor. I wish you success in your endeavours and assure you of our full cooperation.  I take this opportunity to convey our appreciation for PR of Botswana, the outgoing Chair, for her commendable Leadership.  I thank ED for her comprehensive presentation. 

• India appreciates the work being done by the ITC in highlighting the adverse impact of Covid pandemic on MSMEs. The research and advocacy provided by the ITC has supported the MSMEs. India also commends the ITC for the positive impact it has created through its focused interventions. Promoting trade as a means of economic development, particularly of LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS and economies in transition should continue to be a priority in the ITC’s work.

• In spite of the constraints placed by the pandemic, the cooperation between India and the ITC has continued. We have made a modest contribution to the ITC Trust Fund. We are keen to further deepen our partnership with the ITC.  We have made 3 proposals.  First, continuation of the ITC’s Project on Supporting Indian Trade and Investment for Africa (SITA); second, capacity building of developing countries for strengthening their regime of setting and developing national standards and third capacity building and training in areas of the ITC’s priority via India’s e-ITEC program. We look forward to the ITC’s positive and early response to these proposals. 

• The pandemic has emphasized the need for global trade infrastructure and supply chains to be more resilient. MSMEs have borne the brunt of supply chain disruptions.  More reliable and resilient supply chains will enable MSMEs to contribute and fully integrate into the global trade. 

Chair,

• Supporting the global fight against the pandemic, India has delivered medicines, vaccines and medical equipment to over 150 countries. We have accelerated vaccine development and manufacturing and have resumed global supply of vaccines, contributing to realisation of the goal of vaccine equity. In a short span of time, we have administered over one billion vaccine doses in India, contributing to the collective global fight against the pandemic.

• In India’s development cooperation, we have been guided by our partners’ development priorities.  Our concessional Lines of Credit of over US$ 30 billion, our grants-in-aid projects, and our flagship training and capacity building project, under Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Program have made a huge contribution to the development of the fellow developing countries. The US$ 150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund has continued to support transformational and sustainable development projects with focus on LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. 

• Contributing to the global climate action, India has taken initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, where India has pledged US$ 1.7 billion for solar energy projects, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. Today PM of India, together with Leaders of Australia and the UK, launched in Glasgow an initiative for Infrastructure Resilient Island States. 

Chair,

• On the path to recovery, India has launched its ambitious mission to build a self-reliant India, an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which will enable India, based on its competence and dependability, to become a reliable pillar of global economy and trade. The initiative aims at unlocking India’s latent potential. We have encouraged indigenous manufacturing through our Make in India mission, skill development through Skill India Mission, and research and development and innovation through Innovate India and Start-up India Missions.

• India has improved the ease of doing business in India. We have continued to carry out essential reforms, including reforms in labour and internal trade in agroproducts. We have eased restrictions on FDI and, in spite of pandemic, we have been able to attract a record amount of FDI into India. 

• India is keen to further deepen its trade and economic relations with the world. We value our cooperation with the ITC and look forward to further expanding it.

Thank you, Chair.