Forward movement in WTO talks, crucial meet on July 21

NEW DELHI: The WTO Ministerial Meeting will be convened on July 21 in Geneva, signalling a forward movement in Doha talks, but India said it will not budge from its stand on the issue of farmers' security.

The dates of the Ministerial Meeting - the top organ of the World Trade Organisation - were communicated to Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath by WTO Director General Pascal Lamy on June 24.

"This is the last window, perhaps to close this Round. There is lot of work to be done before that," Nath told reporters here today.

He said while there are still large gaps in a number of areas, he hoped the members would be able to "arrive at some convergence".

Nath will hold bilateral meetings with the US, European Union and leaders of different alliances of the developing countries like G-20 and G-33 before the Ministerial Meeting.

The WTO Ministerial Meeting is being held under a lot of pressure from the US and Lamy, who want to clinch a global trade deal within the tenure of President George Bush.

However, India and other developing countries would continue to press for removal of structural flaws in the world trade paradigm.

"Both content and calendars are important," Nath said. Ahead of the Ministerial Meeting, the G-8 meeting of industrialised nations is expected to give a political push to the long-drawn Doha negotiations.

Though India is not a member of G-8, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be attending the meeting along with heads of other four 'outreach' countries that include Brazil.