Britain to support India in WTO negotiations
Thursday, 09 January 2003, 20:30 IST   |    1 Comments
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NEW DELHI: Britain has decided to support India at the next round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) negotiations for implementation of the main agreements reached at Doha, Qatar, in 2001. "We are interested to cooperate with India on carrying forward the Doha agenda," said British Minister for Trade and Industry Patricia Hewitt. "There is a need to find solution on the issue of TRIPS (Trade-Related Intellectual Property) and public health issues," Hewitt, who was on a three-day visit to India that ended Wednesday, told IANS in an interview. Hewitt was accompanied by a high-level British trade delegation that represented a wide spectrum of industrial sectors including gas, banking, alcoholic beverages, IT and communications. During her visit, the British minister met senior federal and state government officials including Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. "Good progress has been made (in WTO talks). But it is important the momentum is maintained. And that all WTO members continue to work towards a successful outcome at the ministerial conference in Cancun," Hewitt said. Ministers from the 145-nation Geneva-based organisation are due to meet at Cancun in Mexico in September to deliberate on an unfinished agenda set in an agreement reached at Doha. Differences have cropped up on several issues between the developed and developing nations. They include barrier-free trade in medicines and agricultural tariffs. The issue of patent rules - set out in the WTO's TRIPS intellectual property agreement - was also one of most contentious issues at the Doha ministerial meet of November 2001. That TRIPS accord, endorsed by big pharmaceutical firms, made it clear that poor states could in an emergency order production of patented medicines under a procedure termed compulsory licensing. Hewitt said the European Union would also have to open its markets and allow in Indian products. "It must also reduce agricultural subsidies and move away from flooding the developing market with cheap imports such as milk powder. "We cannot preach free trade around the world and practice protectionism." The minister said Britain would lobby with other European Union members to lower its agricultural subsidies. "We must ensure that the promises made at Doha are kept." Halving protectionist barriers to trade worldwide could boost the income of developing countries by $150 billion a year -- three times the amount currently given in aid to those countries, she added. Hewitt said the Indian government could benefit by sharing experience with Britain on economic liberalisation and privatisation issues "and the benefits that have flowed from them". Referring to India's ambitious economic reforms programme, he said there was a need to "intensify" the process to attract more foreign direct investments into the country.
Source: IANS
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