Shri Kamal Nath, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, will attend the Mini-Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva in which around 40 to 50 trade ministers of WTO member countries are expected to participate.
The meeting, scheduled to be held from June 29 to July 02 this year, will discuss the modalities for negotiations for agriculture and non-agricultural market access (NAMA) or industrial tariffs. While agriculture and NAMA are not the sole elements of the Doha agenda, these two areas are seen as the most crucial for breaking the current stalemate and moving the Doha Round forward.
The meeting assumes special significance as, according to analysts, if the issues are not resolved at the forthcoming mini-ministerial, conclusion of the Doha Round (launched at Doha in Qatar in 2001) could get inordinately delayed. The discussions will be based on the text of the modalities for negotiations in agriculture and NAMA which was released by the WTO earlier this week.
Shri Kamal Nath will be accompanied by a high level delegation that will include representatives of the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Agriculture, Textiles and others.
The Minister will also participate in ministerial meetings of the G-2- and G-33 on the sidelines of the mini ministerial on June 29, 2006. G-20 is a coalition of developing countries in the agriculture negotiations, while the G-33 is an alliance of developing countries with defensive interests in agriculture through the instrumentality of Special Products and Special Safeguard Mechanism to protect the interests of their farmers. India is a leading member of both.
A meeting to review progress of negotiations in services will be convened in Geneva on July 01,2006 by the European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner Mr. Peter Mandelson, in which India along with other member countries will participate.
Press Information Bureau Government of India
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