Malaysia, India keen on evolving strategies in WTO

By Amit Baruah

PUTRAJAYA (MALAYSIA), MAY 14. Malaysia and India view positively the possibility of their coordinating strategies in the World Trade Organisation.

Addressing reporters after the talks between the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, and his Malaysian counterpart, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, here today, the Malaysian Foreign Minister, Syed Hamid Albar, said the two countries could collaborate in matters relating to investment, procurement, labour and environment to protect the interests of developing countries. Such points of view could be best projected if they held joint discussions prior to the WTO deliberations, he said.

Mr. Hamid also said India had promised to consider positively Malaysia's problem with enhanced Indian duties on the import of palm oil. New Delhi, he said, had promised to look at Kuala Lumpur's concerns positively. On defence cooperation, there was a scope for some training facilities being enhanced and Malaysia participating as an observer in certain ``exercises''.

From the Indian angle, the issue of direct banking relations between the two countries to give a further boost to bilateral trade was also taken up. In this context, India asked Malaysia to favourably consider the application filed by the Bank of Baroda. Asked whether the issue of the extradition treaty figured in the discussions, the Secretary (West), Mr. R.S. Kalha, part of Mr. Vajpayee's delegation, said the two Prime Ministers held a one- time meeting and that he was not privy to those deliberations. ``I am not aware of what happened in the meeting.'' He also said Mr. Vajpayee invited Dr. Mahathir to visit India.

On the issue of the United States' proposed National Missile Defence, Mr. Hamid made it clear that Dr. Mahathir had wanted to be briefed about India's position on the NMD.

Explaining the issue, the official spokesman, Mr. R.S. Jassal, told reporters: ``As you are aware that the Government of India at the conclusion of the visit of Deputy (U.S.) Secretary of State, (Mr. Richard) Armitage, had issued a statement indicating our approach to the new strategic framework that has been proposed by the U.S. side.''

Mr. Armitage had said the issue of missile defences was one component of a larger concept of a new strategic framework which the U.S. had in mind, the spokesman said. ``And, at the moment, they are engaged in consultations and dialogue with their friends and allies in order to be able to achieve a better understanding of what this new strategic framework would be.'' ``From our side, the External Affairs Minister, (Mr. Jaswant Singh), had not only reiterated the fact that we had welcomed certain elements of the U.S. approach. At this point of time nobody can take a definitive view on missile defences as such because this is something of the future. At the moment, it is at the conceptual stage,'' he said.

India had also made it clear that it was against unilateral abrogation of bilateral agreements. According to the spokesman, the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty was included in this rubric.

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