The Hindu Business Line : Cabinet panel chalks out plan on trade issues

THE Cabinet Committee on WTO on Thursday met under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, in order to endorse the broad position New Delhi would take in the next month's WTO General Council meeting to draw framework agreements on major issues such as agriculture, non-agricultural market access and Singapore issues of trade facilitation and transparency in government procurement.

Later, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr Kamal Nath, told newspersons that on the crucial issue of agreement on agriculture modalities, there would be no compromise on the country's food security while ensuring market access. "Our vision is that the country's farm sector should be protected and that is our priority," he added.

The Minister who is leaving for Brazil tomorrow to attend the eleventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) from June 13 to 18, would have opportunity to discuss the component of the framework agreement on agriculture with G-20 like-minded countries, comprising India, Brazil and South Africa, as also with other trade majors such as the US, Australia and the European Union on the sidelines of the Unctad Conference in Sao Paulo.

Sources in the Government told Business Line here that the Cabinet Committee on WTO is also reported to have finalised its strategy for the next month's WTO Council meeting wherein New Delhi would also seek to bring in implementation issues of the Uruguay Round and also the special and differential treatment (S&D) for the developing countries which remained best endeavour clauses in the WTO hitherto.