ID :
13211
Mon, 07/21/2008 - 10:03
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/13211
The shortlink copeid
India, Brazil to take on rich nations in WTO talks Monday
Yoshita Singh Geneva, Jul 21 (PTI) Backed by over 100 developing countries, India, Brazil and South Africa will take on the rich nations to get a fair trade deal at the W.T.O. meeting ofkey trade ministers' beginning here Monday.
Against a backdrop of high crude oil prices and global food crisis, the World Trade Organisation has convened a five-day mini Ministerial Meeting with a hope that closing the Doha Round can reinvigorate the world economy which is in thegrip of a slowdown.
"The positions are pretty hard on all sides," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath gave a sense of the mood inthe run-up to the 'greenroom' negotiations.
The W.T.O. had launched negotiations among its members, for new agreements to open the world trade which should be fair and without distortions. The negotiations, launched at the Qatari capital in 2001 and known as the Doha Round were tocomplete by the end of 2004 for a new trade regime.
However, wide differences over the extent to opening the markets blocked several rounds of talks, including theMinisterial Meetings in Cancun and Hong Kong.
For a collective bargain, the developing countries which dominate the 152 W.T.O. membership have aligned themselvesinto different groupings like G-20, G-33 and N.A.M.A.
(Non-Agriculture Market Access)-11.
But, thanks to 'never-say-die' W.T.O. Director General Pascal Lamy and U.S. President George Bush's desire to give a new opportunity to American business before his term expires,pressure was built to achieve an agreement.
While the number of differences has come down, the countries have stuck to their positions when it comes to the crunch of seeking new markets for themselves but protecting their own turf. PTI
Against a backdrop of high crude oil prices and global food crisis, the World Trade Organisation has convened a five-day mini Ministerial Meeting with a hope that closing the Doha Round can reinvigorate the world economy which is in thegrip of a slowdown.
"The positions are pretty hard on all sides," Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath gave a sense of the mood inthe run-up to the 'greenroom' negotiations.
The W.T.O. had launched negotiations among its members, for new agreements to open the world trade which should be fair and without distortions. The negotiations, launched at the Qatari capital in 2001 and known as the Doha Round were tocomplete by the end of 2004 for a new trade regime.
However, wide differences over the extent to opening the markets blocked several rounds of talks, including theMinisterial Meetings in Cancun and Hong Kong.
For a collective bargain, the developing countries which dominate the 152 W.T.O. membership have aligned themselvesinto different groupings like G-20, G-33 and N.A.M.A.
(Non-Agriculture Market Access)-11.
But, thanks to 'never-say-die' W.T.O. Director General Pascal Lamy and U.S. President George Bush's desire to give a new opportunity to American business before his term expires,pressure was built to achieve an agreement.
While the number of differences has come down, the countries have stuck to their positions when it comes to the crunch of seeking new markets for themselves but protecting their own turf. PTI
