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Kamal Nath briefs WTO chief

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the five-day crucial mini-Ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva from July 21, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath on Friday met WTO Director General Pascal Lamy and highlighted India’s concerns on agriculture and non-agriculture market access, besides discussing various issues to ensure a successful conclusion of the Doha Round of negotiations.

“Flexibilities for developing countries have to be adequate and appropriate for addressing the sensitivities of individual member nations. There can be no caveats such as number and trade volume limitations as proposed by the U.S. to the usage of these flexibilities. In agriculture, India hopes to use the revised text on the Special Products and the Special Safeguard Mechanism to help Indian promote Indian agriculture sector,” Mr. Nath said in a statement. Mr. Nath is slated to attend a G-33 meeting before the trade talks and also meet Argentina’s Secretary of State of Commerce and International Relations Alfredo Chiaradia and Brazil’s Foreign Minister Celso Amorim.

These meetings assume importance in the light of the fact that the developing countries need to effectively coordinate in arriving at a successful deal for them in the present negotiations.

Mr. Nath had held briefing sessions with Indian officials, including Commerce Secretary Gopal Pillai and Additional Secretary Rahul Khullar.

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