Kamal Nath to attend WTO meet in Geneva

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Jun 25 (UNI) Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath would represent India at the Mini-Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva from June 29 to July 02, an official statement said.

Nearly 50 trade ministers of WTO member countries are expected to attend the meeting which would discuss modalities for negotiations for agriculture and non-agricultural market access (NAMA) or industrial tariffs.

''While agriculture and NAMA are not the sole elements of the Doha agenda, these two areas are seen as the most crucial for breaking the current stalemate and moving the Doha Round forward,'' it added.

Analysts believe that if the issues are not resolved at the forthcoming meeting, conclusion of the Doha Round (launched at Doha in Qatar in 2001) could get inordinately delayed.

The discussions would be based on the text of the modalities for negotiations in agriculture and NAMA which was released by the WTO earlier this week.

A high-level delegation including representatives of the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Agriculture, Textiles and others would accompany the Minister on the trip.

Mr Kamal Nath would also participate in ministerial meetings of the G-20 and G-33 on the sidelines of the meeting on June 29.

G-20 is a coalition of developing countries in the agriculture negotiations, while the G-33 is an alliance of developing countries with defensive interests in agriculture through the instrumentality of Special Products and Special Safeguard Mechanism to protect the interests of their farmers. India is a leading member of both.

A meeting to review progress of negotiations in services would be convened in Geneva on July 01 by the European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, in which India along with other member countries would participate, the statement informed.

UNI VN DKS BD1925

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