The Economic Times- India Times :
India to take firm stand in Tokyo WTO meet
PTI[ TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2003 06:27:15 PM ]
NEW DELHI: India will take a "firm and tough" stand at the
WTO mini-ministerial in Tokyo on the issue of market
access on agriculture and services as a large population
was dependent on them.
"We will take a firm stand especially on agriculture.
India has been forcefully putting across its point of view
as many in the country are dependent on agriculture,"
Commerce and Industry Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters
on the eve of his departure for Tokyo for the three-day
meeting beginning on February 14.
India would also seek to evolve a consensus among
developing countries on other non-agricultural issues like
services and Singapore issues - trade and investment,
competition, transparency in Government procurement and
trade facilitation.
This is for the first time India would be represented by
two ministers - Jaitley and Agriculture Minister Ajit
Singh - at the ministerial which could set the tone for
the discussions at the WTO Ministerial at Cancun in
September.
Declining to give what would be India's exact strategy,
Jaitley said, "We have a clear stand on agriculture and
market access. There is no dilution of the stand taken by
India at Doha. We have to reiterate that in Tokyo."
Jaitely said development-related issues, rules and other
issues, besides general discussions on road to Cancun
would figure prominently at the meet that would take
forward the Doha work programme.
Maintaining that India had a "clear stand" on agriculture,
Jaitley said, "We have very little flexibility."
Asked if there would be any change in India's strategy
with the change of guard in the Commerce Ministry since
Doha ministerial in 2001, Jaitley said, "There is lot more
continuity. I see no failure or conflict."
To a question if India would forge a common stand with
China, he said there is a "common thread" between the two
Asian giants on certain issues. India and China have
prepared a joint paper on investment.
He also made it clear that the commonality of approach
would be "issue-based" and referred to the recent
discussions on various issues with African countries.
The meeting is also expected to discuss the contentious
TRIPS and Public Health issues which has reached a
stalemate with US continuing to oppose the draft.
India has made it clear that there could be no deviation
from the declaration made at Doha on this issue to address
the health concerns of the developing countries.
Twenty-four countries are participating in the
mini-ministerial comprising India, Australia, Brazil,
Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, European Commission,
Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kenya, Korea, Lesotho,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Senegal,
Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago
and United States.
Besides Jaitley and Ajit Singh, the Indian delegation will
also include commerce secretary Dipak Chatterjee,
additional secretary SN Menon, and India's ambassador to
WTO KM Chandrashekhar.
Jaitley will utilise the opportunity to have bilateral
discussions with his counterparts from United States and
European Union Robert Zoellick and Pascal Lamy.
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