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Maran arrives in Doha

Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran arrived in Doha at the head of an Indian delegation to participate in the crucial WTO (World Trade Organisation) Ministerial Meeting amidst tight security in face of the September 11 terrorist strike in the US and the Afghan war.

Maran, who heads a 21-member Indian team that includes main negotiators commerce secretary Prabir Sengupta and special secretary Nripendra Misra, will be facing stiff opposition from developed countries who are determined to press hard for the enlargement of the WTO agenda.

The five-day event in which trade ministers from 142 member countries participate will be held in the backdrop of a fear psychosis that the conference could be a target of terrorist attack despite an assurance from the Qatar Government about tight security.

Though no delegation has pulled out of the all-important conference, United States has come here with reduced strength and adequate emergency medical supplies.

The conference has brought members together to strengthen the multilateral trading system.

The failure of the Ministerial Conference held in Seattle looms large in the face of divergent positions of the developed and developing countries on the launch of a comprehensive new round encompassing extraneous issues to trade like investment, competition and environment.

There are already widespread protests in India where farmers and several opposition parties have warned the government not to succumb to pressures from the developed countries to agree for a new round of trade negotiations.

India has so far remained "steadfast" to its position that it would oppose totally any attempt to thrust the so-called Singapore issues into the agenda of WTO.

The Singapore issues comprise 'trade and investment, trade and competition, transparency in government procurement and trade facilitation'.

India has maintained these issues are extraneous to trade that it should not be brought into the work programme of WTO. It often quotes WTO convention that no new issue should be brought into the agenda without a consensus among the 142 member countries.

The consensus so far seems to elude the WTO as several developing countries shared India's perception on these even though United States and the European Union claim that several developing countries are coming closer towards their viewpoint.

EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy has gone to the extent of saying there was now 80 per cent consensus but the remaining 20 per cent was "difficult". He was, however, positive that consensus would be arrived at.

The ministerial meet would also formalise entry of China into the WTO, which is expected to strengthen the hands of developing countries like India in the hard trade negotiations.

The Indian delegation would also include six members from Geneva and Washington. Indian Ambassador to WTO S Narayanan will play a key role in the negotiations. He will be joined by senior Indian embassy official in Brussels K M Chandrasekhar.

The Minister of state for Commerce Rajiv Pratap Rudy will join Maran on Thursday.

Like any other negotiations there is bound to be "give and take", Maran said, adding, however "as of now there no change in our stance."

Asked if India would adopt a flexible approach, Maran said, "I cannot say anything now unless I know what developed countries had to offer to address the concerns of the developing countries."

"We are determined to oppose tooth and nail any attempt to bulldoze us," he said adding there are several symphathisers among the developing countries and "we will galvanise their support.

"The top most priority of India is ensure that national interests are fully safeguarded," he said.

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