World Trade Organisation Director General Pascal Lamy met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday and sought concessions from India to revive the stalled Doha Round of negotiations.
Briefing Singh in a 30-minute meeting about fresh efforts for reviving global trade talks, Lamy wanted that the major players at WTO, including India and Brazil, should go an extra mile for conclusion of the round, official sources said.
India and Brazil, representing the developing countries, while EU and the US as the main voices of the developed world are the players who will have to play a crucial role to break the deadlock.
While India is willing to make concessions in industrial goods, it has remained steadfast in protecting its vulnerable agriculture sector.
US Trade Representative Susan Schwab and EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson have also made efforts in recent weeks to get the negotiations back on track.
At an interactive session with the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday night, Lamy said 2007 would be a 'defining year' for multilateral trade negotiations, and added the talks cannot afford a crash.
WTO's Doha Round began in the Qatari capital in 2001 but was suspended in July last year folowing wide differences among key players on agriculture subsidies and tariffs.
World Trade Organisation Director General Pascal Lamy with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Friday, January 19. Photograph: Saab Pictures.
(PTI)
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