The Hindu Business Line : India keen to achieve concrete results in WTO ministerial meet

INDIA on Friday expressed itself for achieving concrete results in the forthcoming Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation in Hong Kong in order to ensure that global trade is not only free but also fair and cautioned against converting Doha Development Round into a market access round.

Speaking at the G-20 Ministerial Meeting at Bhurban in Pakistan on Friday, the Union Commerce & Industry Minister, Mr Kamal Nath, called for continued maintenance of unity among G-20 and G-33, Africa Group, African, Caribbean and the Pacific and least developed countries to achieve development dimensions of the Doha agenda.

"Talks of progressivity within band is nothing but reintroduction of the concept of harmonisation in market access, a concept which was rejected at the mini Ministerial held at Dalian, China, in July this year", Mr Nath said.

He also underscored that the developed countries should be ready to accept 100/100 concept in agriculture wherein the developed countries bind 100 per cent of their tariff lines (or special duties) in ad valorem terms with a cap in tariffs at 100 per cent.

Around 120 delegates from G-20 member countries are attending the two-day meeting being held to assess the progress of the current Doha Round negotiations in the WTO since the important G-20 Ministerial meeting held in New Delhi last March and to evolve the G-20 strategy for negotiations on agriculture.

The deliberations due to conclude on Saturday would also include consideration of the state of play in respect of the other areas of negotiations such as non-agricultural market access, services, trade facilitation and rules, an official release issued here said.

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