At BRICS meet, Goyal stresses on ‘new tech adoption, equitable food security solution’

Addressing a meeting, which was attended by trade and economic ministers of BRICS countries on Friday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also emphasised on finding a permanent, adequate and equitable solution to the public stock holding programmes for food security purposes.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal at the BRICS trade ministers meeting, on Friday.

India has pitched for an early outcome of the TRIPS waiver proposal for Covid-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics in the WTO, an official release said on Saturday.

Addressing a meeting, which was attended by trade and economic ministers of BRICS countries on Friday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also emphasised on finding a permanent, adequate and equitable solution to the public stock holding programmes for food security purposes. He also sought adoption of emerging new technologies in a swiftly changing world while finding solutions to the challenges of data protection and cyber security.

Goyal “emphasized, amongst other things, on the need for a permanent, adequate and equitable solution to the Public Stock Holding programmes for food security purposes; early outcome of the TRIPS Waiver proposal for vaccines,” the release said.

Last October, India and South Africa had submitted the first proposal, suggesting a waiver for all WTO (World Trade Organization) members on the implementation of certain provisions of the TRIPs Agreement in relation to the prevention, containment or treatment of Covid-19.