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Journalism of Courage
India has said that WTO will have to recognise the developmental concerns of the poorer countries of the worlds otherwise popular support for economic liberalisation will collapse in the developing world. While addressing a special plenary session during the fourth India-EU summit, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee said that “unless we take concerns of poorer countries into account, this could have disastrous consequences for out future discussions on the international trading regime.”
Vajpayee said that “it is important not to upset the carefully balanced agenda of interests that resulted from hard fought negotiations and compromises at Doha.”
Citing agriculture, Vajpayee said that agriculture provides the livelihood of millions of people from a huge number of developing countries and the decisions we take in the WTO on agriculture will need to respond to this basic fact, even while they protect the interests of farmers elsewhere.”
BPO to increase competitiveness
Regarding the recent debates on the impact of business process outsourcing in Europe and elsewhere and migration of jobs to countries like India, Vajpayee said that “outsourcing is increasing the competitiveness and global reach of European and American companies and increased profits are also ploughed back into these economies.”
Asking for liberal regime of free movement of businessmen and professionals between India and Europe, Vajpayee said that “demographic profile of Europe and America needs induction of younger workforce from outside in the coming decades. In the absence of such a regime, outsourcing is inevitable. If people can’t go to where the business is, business will eventually come to where the people are.”
On the occasion, European Commission president Romano Prodi said that “we should work together to promote business opportunities between India and EU and also need to lend a hand to push the WTO agenda.” (ENS)
