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Manmohan Singh hears out Gordon Brown on Doha round

— Photo: PTI/Manvender Vashist

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with his British counterpart Gordon Brown in Kampala on Saturday.

Kampala: Before cutting short his stay in the Ugandan capital by one day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday held bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Britain, Sri Lanka, Grenada and New Zealand.

These discussions took place during the second day of the “retreat” — an informal working session — of the Commonwealth Summit.

The Indian officials were unable to say what transpired at these bilateral meetings.

However, the British media reported that Prime Minister Gordon Brown was trying to enlist Dr. Singh’s help in injecting a new urgency in the Doha round of global trade negotiations. Mr. Brown was quoted as telling Dr. Singh that the stalemate in the Doha talks needed to be ended, because free trade, and globalisation based on open markets, free trade and flexibility were “the best way forward to create growth and prosperity in the world economy.”

Dr. Singh heard his British counterpart conceding that cuts were needed in agricultural subsidies in the European and American markets.

Mr. Brown said: “We need to understand the sensitivities of rural farmers in India and elsewhere and at the same time I think there is a growing feeling that we should move to a conclusion to this round.”

The Prime Minister agreed with Mr. Brown, without making any commitment.

Later Dr. Singh met heads of the governments from Sri Lanka, Grenada and New Zealand.

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