Kamal Nath leaving for Geneva again to save Doha WTO talks

New Delhi, July 11 (UNI) Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath is leaving for Geneva tonight to attend yet another meeting convened by WTO Director General Pascal Lamy, to break the impasse between the developed and developing countries over the beleagured Doha Round of negotiations.

''Officials have already left and I will be there tomorrow to attend the meeting called by Mr Lamy. The meeting will not be in the G-six or Green Room format'', Mr Kamal Nath told reporters here.

He said India maintains its stand of not bargaining anything on the issue of subsistence farming and vulnerable industry.

Early this month, the mini-Ministerial meeting of the WTO collapsed in Geneva and India virtually pulled out of the talks as there was a demand from the US Trade Representative Susan Schewab to almost reopen the question of Special Products, a window of protection for the farmers of the developing countries.

The USTR has held India responsible for the collapse of the Geneva meeting. ''I do not know what responsibility she is talking about'', Mr Kamal Nath said.

UNI PC RA BD1855