Now, blame talks begin
India has said that the US refusal to take on commitments for reducing farm subsidies was primarily responsible for the collapse of the Doha round of trade talks at the World Trade Organisation(WTO).
By TNN |
NEW DELHI: India has said that the US refusal to take on commitments for reducing farm subsidies was primarily responsible for the collapse of the Doha round of trade talks at the World Trade Organisation(WTO).
Most other members, including the EU, had agreed to the cuts proposed by India and other developing country members of the G-20 group.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, commerce & industry minister Kamal Nath said that the G-8 members, which include the EU and the US, had said in their joint statement released in St Petersburg recently that they wanted to bring in flexibilities to the talks.
Encouraged by the statement, WTO director general Pascal Lamy had convened the G-6 meeting in Geneva last week-end. “In Geneva we found that the US had brought nothing to the table. They still wanted the freedom to increase their trade distorting subsidies by $ 3 bn,” he said.
The minister emphasised that developing countries cannot permit their subsistence farmers to lose their livelihood and food security to provide market access to subsidised agricultural products from developed countries. Mr Kamal Nath said that it was heartening to note that it was not just the developing countries but the 25 member EU, too, that was supporting India’s position in agriculture.
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When asked whether there was any chance of Mr Lamy coming out with a draft on the lines of the famous ‘Dunkel draft’ brought out by his predecessor Arthur Dunkel during the Uruguay Round, Mr Nath said that the possibility was discussed by the G-6 and then rejected. “There is a difference in the mind-set of various WTO members which cannot be bridged by a text drafted by the DG. India and many others did not support the idea,” he said. On the future, the minister said that the road ahead was unclear.
However, he added that no movement seemed possible before the US House of Representatives elections in October.
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