G-20 meet to put trade talks in top gear
The G-20 leaders meeting, scheduled in Washington later this week, to discuss ways to tackle the global financial crisis is also expected to stress on the need to speedily conclude the on-going World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Doha round.
By Amiti Sen, ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: The G-20 leaders meeting, scheduled in Washington later this week, to discuss ways to tackle the global financial crisis is also expected to stress on the need to speedily conclude the on-going World Trade Organisation���s (WTO) Doha round. Top trade officials from India are accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Washington to clearly put forth India���s areas of concerns and expectations in the Doha round.
Speaking to ET, government sources said there would be pressure on both India and the US to show flexibility in the talks as it is widely believed that the two countries are responsible for the current deadlock in WTO talks. ���When the mini-ministerial talks in Geneva failed to deliver results in July this year, it was generally thought that the talks ended because India and the US disagreed on the level of protection which is to be accorded to poor farmers against import surges.
The truth is that there are a host of other issues that have not been settled yet which are equally important and involve many more countries,��� the official said. It is important that India makes its position clear at the G-20 meeting (meeting of heads of states of countries from both the developed and developing world) as it does not want to be identified as a country responsible for holding the round, the official added. The Doha round was launched in November 2001.
While there has been some movement in the area of liberalising agricultural and industrial goods in the round, other areas including services liberalisation and strengthening of rules governing the WTO need to be worked on intensively.
Senior trade officials from the EU and the US have stated that they expected the G-20 summit to send a clear signal of determination to complete the Doha round of trade talks.
Exuding optimism, newly appointed EU trade commissioner Catherine Ashton has said that details of a final agreement on Doha could be agreed within weeks.
Speaking to ET, government sources said there would be pressure on both India and the US to show flexibility in the talks as it is widely believed that the two countries are responsible for the current deadlock in WTO talks. ���When the mini-ministerial talks in Geneva failed to deliver results in July this year, it was generally thought that the talks ended because India and the US disagreed on the level of protection which is to be accorded to poor farmers against import surges.
The truth is that there are a host of other issues that have not been settled yet which are equally important and involve many more countries,��� the official said. It is important that India makes its position clear at the G-20 meeting (meeting of heads of states of countries from both the developed and developing world) as it does not want to be identified as a country responsible for holding the round, the official added. The Doha round was launched in November 2001.
While there has been some movement in the area of liberalising agricultural and industrial goods in the round, other areas including services liberalisation and strengthening of rules governing the WTO need to be worked on intensively.
Senior trade officials from the EU and the US have stated that they expected the G-20 summit to send a clear signal of determination to complete the Doha round of trade talks.
Exuding optimism, newly appointed EU trade commissioner Catherine Ashton has said that details of a final agreement on Doha could be agreed within weeks.
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