Willing to settle for deal on 8 out of 10 issues at WTO: India

BALI: With a consensus at the World Trade Organization (WTO) remaining elusive, India on Thursday said it has no problems with a deal on eight of the 10 subjects on the table and would not be averse to the idea of further negotiations on the contentious food security and trade facilitation issues in Geneva if an agreement is not reached here.

While there are few worries over five issues of concern to the least developed countries, Indian officials suggested that the two other proposals on agriculture relate to export subsidies and export of prescribed quantities of farm goods by developing countries at lower duties and the WTO could agree to the proposals.

Separately, they said, there seemed to be marginal rift on the second section of the proposed agreement on trade facilitation, which could be agreed upon here in Bali as part of a package. "If we have no consensus here in Bali (where 159 trade ministers are meeting), we can discuss the food security proposal and the first chapter of trade facilitation, where there are major gaps, in Geneva," said an official, who did not wish to be identified.
 

The statement came even as commerce & industry minister Anand Sharma made it clear that he was unwilling to make any compromise on India's stand. "It is better to have no agreement than a bad agreement," Sharma said during a packed press conference, the first since he landed on Monday.

At the same time, he said India should not be blamed for the collapse as it was backing demand for food security for the poor and enjoyed the support of countries that accounted for 75% of the world's poor. As part of India's coalition building efforts, the minister is meeting potential allies over lunch on Thursday. The list includes 13 countries such as Argentina, South Africa, Kenya, Nepal (that chairs the LDC coalition), Egypt (that leads the Arab League). "We are seeking a mature understanding from the US, the European Union and other developed countries... If, out of 10 (proposals), India has endorsed eight, can we barter away and compromise the fundamental right on food security?" Sharma said.

At the press conference, he also dismissed suggestions that the government had adopted a tough posture of food security ahead of next year's general elections. 

 

md. abdul wahab

pgdm 2nd