India stresses resuming Doha talks

New Delhi, June 8 (PTI) India Monday emphasised the need
for resuming talks on the WTO's stalled Doha Round, stating
that the negotiating text for global trade can be the staring
point for further talks.

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, who is
attending the Cairns group meeting in Bali, Indonesia, as a
special invitee emphasised the need for resuming negotiations
based on the draft reports on agriculture and industrial
goods.

Sharma, who met United States Trade Representative Ron
Kirk on the sidelines of the meeting, agreed to take forward
the multilateral negotiations.

Disagreement between India and the US over reduction in
tariffs led to the collapse of talks between the WTO member
countries in July 2008 in Geneva.

There are serious differences between developing and
developed countries over the level to which they are willing
to open their markets.

Sharma and Kirk also agreed to review the US-India
bilateral engagement during the visit of the Indian Commerce
Minister to Washington later this month, an official statement
said here.

In his address to the Cairns group, a body of 19 farm
product-exporting countries, Sharma reiterated India's
commitment to successfully concluding the Doha process through
a constructive engagement.

"...the 'development dimension' of the Doha Round must be
central to all discussions and the aspirations of all
developing countries for a fair trading regime must be
recognised," the statement said.

As many as 153 member countries of the WTO have been
unsuccessfully trying to reach an agreement under the mandate
of the Doha Round launched in 2001 for making global trade
more open.

Sharma also met with his counterparts from Australia, New
Zealand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

"He is scheduled to hold discussions with WTO Director
General Pascal Lamy Tuesday," the statement said.

In December 2008, the WTO drafted reports on agriculture
and non-agriculture market access (NAMA).

Cairns group include the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan, EU,
South Africa, Indonesia among other countries. PTI RR
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