Anand Sharma in hectic parleys before WTO meet

NEW DELHI: Trade officials from 35 countries met here on Wednesday, setting the tone for Thursday���s WTO informal ministerial meeting being hosted by India to inject political momentum into the Doha talks. A day before the meeting of key ministers from the US, EU, Australia, Brazil, China, South Africa and Canada, among others, begins amid tight security, commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma held several bilateral meetings.

Mr Sharma met Australian minister of trade Simon Crean, News Zealand trade minister Tim Groser and UK secretary of state for international development Douglas Alexander to discuss how the divide between the rich and developing countries be bridged.

Along side, the Left parties and scores of farmers��� bodies and NGOs vowed to hold protest demonstrations in the city on Thursday against free trade conclave. While the meeting in New Delhi is largely an India initiative, the WTO has announced schedule for the ministerial meeting of 153 trade ministers (the highest policymaking organ) in Geneva from November 30-December 2. WTO chief Pascal Lamy is also attending the informal meeting here.

The contentious issues include farm subsidy in the developed countries, demand for market access in developing countries and level of farmers protection there. Visiting trade ministers from different groupings would not only hold multilateral talks but will also engage in bilateral discussions. The meeting is not likely to come out with a formal declaration.

However, it would have the chairman���s (India���s trade minister) comments. After the two deliberations, the visiting ministers will pay a courtesy call to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday. Earlier, in the day, the Australian trade minister said at a CII seminar that the New Delhi meet would provide political momentum to the Doha talks.���We want to strengthen them (political momentum),��� he said.

The Australian minister said 2010 deadline set for completion of the Doha Round of talks could be achieved. ���It is a realistic deadline,��� Mr Crean said while cautioning that for completing the talks by next year political commitment is required. After his meeting with Mr Sharma, New Zealand���s trade minister expressed confidence that there would be some progress on the stalled Doha Round.