India stresses resuming Doha talks

Disagreement between India and US over reduction in tariffs led to collapse of talks in Geneva.

India 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.

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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.