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India lodges protest over WTO draft declaration

India on Friday lodged its protest with WTO and Organising Committee chairman of the Ministerial Conference for not reflecting New Delhi's concerns on new issues in the covering letter to the revised draft declaration.

Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran said he has conveyed New Delhi's displeasure to WTO Director General Mike Moore and Qatari Finance Minister Yousef Hussain Kamal, who is organising committee chairman, that the covering letter to the draft does not reflect the 'reality' by not mentioning the concerns of the developing countries.

"There is no consensus on new issues," Maran, who had a series of bilateral meetings ahead of the five-day ministerial meeting, told reporters, adding that mentions about textiles, which were not stated in the WTO general council meeting, had been included in the draft.

The mention about concerns on Textiles have apparently been included in the covering letter at the behest of United States, analysts said.

"Nobody mentioned about textiles particularly on the issue of special and differential treatment," Maran said, adding this has found mention in the covering letter.

After his bilateral meeting with his counterparts in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Cuba, and Malaysia, besides having talks with Moore and Kamal, Maran said: "India is not alone in opposing new issues like investment and competition which are extraneous to trade."

Tanzania which heads the group of 48 least developed countries stoutly opposes the launch of new round, he said, adding that Malaysia too opposes bringing investment on the negotiating agenda.

He said resolving implementation issues could not be linked to launch of a new round, adding implementation issues are 'stand alone' concerns.

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