India stresses resuming Doha talks

India is laying stress on the need to resume talks on the WTO's stalled Doha Round, stating that the negotiating text for global trade will serve as the starting point to hold further talks.

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, who is attending the Cairns group meeting in Bali, Indonesia, as a special invitee emphasized the need for resuming negotiations based on the draft reports on agriculture and industrial goods.

Sharma, who met United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk on the sidelines of the meeting, agreed to take forward the multilateral negotiations.

In July Meet in 2008 in Geneva, both the countries India and the United States had dropped talk due to difference over the issue of reduction in tariffs.

There are serious differences between developing and developed countries over the level to which they are willing to open their markets.

According to official statement, during the visit of the Indian Commerce Minister to Washington later this month, Sharma and Kirk have agreed to review the US-India bilateral engagement.

In his address to the Cairns group, a body of 19 farm product-exporting countries, Sharma reiterated India's commitment to successfully concluding the Doha process through a constructive engagement.

The official statement says, "...The 'development dimension' of the Doha Round must be central to all discussions and the aspirations of all developing countries for a fair trading regime must be recognized".

As many as 153 member countries of the WTO have been unsuccessfully trying to reach an agreement under the mandate of the Doha Round launched in 2001 for making global trade more open.

Sharma also met with his counterparts from Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

As per the statement, "he is scheduled to hold discussions with WTO Director General Pascal Lamy tomorrow".

WTO drafted reports on agriculture and non-agriculture market access (NAMA) In December 2008.

Cairns group include the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan, EU, South Africa, Indonesia among other countries. Business Standard

June 9, 2009