Shri Kamal Nath, Union
Minister of Commerce & Industry, has said that there can be no
compromise on the interests of farmers or infant industry in the
current Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations, adding that
trade should be looked at through the prism of development.
Briefing newsmen here today on his return from Geneva, the Minister
underlined that at recent meetings of the WTO, India and other
developing countries had stressed the need to have substantial and
effective cuts in trade distorting domestic support of the developed
countries.
“To address India’s
core concerns and interests, including protecting the interests of
farmers, we have formed alliances with like-minded developing
countries, which include the G-20 on agriculture and the G-33 on
special products and the special safeguard mechanism, and the
NAMA-11 on industrial tariffs. Specific and detailed proposals have
been made by these groups in the negotiations. India has also been
playing a key role in further strengthening the developing country
coalitions by bringing together G-20, G-33, African group, ACP
countries and the LDCs to reinforce each other’ position on issues
of mutual interest”, Shri Kamal Nath said in a statement in response
to a question in Lok Sabha today.
A meeting of the G-6
Ministers was held at Geneva on 23rd and 24th
July 2006 and there was no convergence on the core issues of
substantial reduction of trade distorting support and other
development issues. It has, therefore, been decided to suspend
negotiations, he said.
In NAMA
(non-agricultural market access) developing countries are being
asked to reduce their duties to levels which would threaten their
infant industries. “We cannot agree to reduction of duties on
industrial goods without adequate safeguards”, he said.
“This
Round is not about the perpetuation of the structural flaws in
global trade especially in agriculture. This Round is not about
developing countries opening their markets for developed countries
for their subsidised agricultural products. This Round is not about
negotiating livelihood security and subsistence of hundreds of
millions of farmers. This Round is not about preventing the
emergence of industries in developing countries. This Round is
about opening new markets for developing countries especially in
developed countries”, he had said last evening in a statement to the
WTO
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