Kamal Nath projects India as a bulwork of Asia's future

New Delhi, May 24 (UNI) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath today said civilisational paradigm of India embracing globalisation as an open and democratic society was one of the bulwarks for the future of Asia.

Speaking at ''Future of Asia Conference 2007'' in Tokyo, he said India's current and potential growth makes her very attractive to the world.

The country's politico-legal complexion based on sound and time-tested tenets makes it acceptable to the civil society around the world. Yet another strong feature of India is inherent stability of her democratic institutions, multi-culturalism and its hugely successful diaspora, the minister said.

The Indian Minister also used the forum to focus on what he described as '' institutionalised power asymmetries which continue to pervade the World Trade Organisation.'' He said while the world trade body professed greater openness in all aspects of international trade but in practice it observed its objective in '' a highly selective manner that reflects the predilections and concerns of developed countries.'' Mr Kamal Nath said while the developed countries wanted merchandise trade and capital flows without much hinderance of national borders but felt shy of smooth flows of technology and labour across the borders.

He said developed countries say subsidies are bad for industrial sectors but remain silent on agricultural subsidies.

Similarly they talk of transparent tariffs in the industrial sector but slam shut when it comes to tariffs in the agriculture sector.

The Indian Minister further said developed countries say private interests of holders of intellecutal property rights (IPRs) are sacred and supercede the larger public interests.

He said talk of Doha development round remains largely rhetorical as issues for ushering in fair and undistorted agricultural world trade, duty-free and quota-free treatment for least developed countries (LDCs) remain unresolved.

''The fundamental principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries to address their concerns of policy space in the major areas of negotiatons ( in the WTO) remains deadlocked,'' the Minister added.

Mr Kamal Nath said developed countries do not recognise that the basic premise of a development round is primacy for the development needs of developing countries and not market access for developed countries.

While expressing satisfaction over the unity among developing countries which have withstood all pressures to undermine the Doha development round, the Indian Minister promised to continue working with his colleagues in the developing countries to create '' that balance of give-and-take a cross the Doha work programme as a whole that will make winners of each of us.'' UNI SAA SK DB2011