Trade ministers to discuss WTO issues

US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick has invited key trade ministers including India’s and European Union’s for a meeting in Lo...

US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick has invited key trade ministers including India’s and European Union’s for a meeting in London this month end to find ways to move forward in the WTO.

Trade ministers of Japan and important members of G-20 like Brazil and South Africa have also been invited to attend the two-day meet that will take stock of the progress in agriculture talks, official sources said. The meet assumes significance in the light of the ongoing talks on agriculture in Geneva.

Having achieved not much progress in the first special session of the committee on agriculture last month, the WTO has convened yet another meeting in the third week of April to narrow the differences on contentious issues of phasing out of export subsidies before its summer break in May.

Narrowing down of differences would help in working out abroad framework by July for early resumption of trade talks and some forward movement of Doha work programme.The framework will form the basis for further negotiation on agriculture and non-agriculture market access.

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