Don't give into US pressure at WTO talks: CPI(M) to Govt

New Delhi, Jul 28 (UNI) The CPI(M) today cautioned the UPA government against succumbing to the US pressure at the WTO talks in Geneva saying the latter's administration is presuring India to fall in line so that the outcome is tilted in favour of the Western world.

Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath is leading the Indian delegation at the negotiations at the mini-ministerial meeting on the Doha Develpment Round in Geneva. The talks are reportedly headed for a failure.

The CPI(M) statement comes after US President George Bush recently called up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prevent the world trade body's negotiations from collapsing.

"The US is exertig pressure upon India to fall in line and faciliate the adoption of an iniquitous agreement.

The US President had called up the Indian PM in this connection," the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said in a statement, adding that the latest draft released by the WTO Director General on JUly 25 reflected glaring inequities in agriculture and NMA.

"While the developed countries like the US and EU would be able to retain much of their huge subsidies, the developing countries would be forced to undertake steep cuts in agriculture as provisions for protecting developing countries agriculture through designation of Special Products and Special Safeguard Mechdnism had been diluted to such an extent that they were rendered meaningless," the CPI(M) said.

The Left party said such an outcome would make a mockery of the "development" dimension of the Doha Round.

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