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Saarc ministers to work for common strategy for WTO meet

P Jayaram in New Delhi

Ministers of South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation countries are set to meet in New Delhi to discuss a common strategy to be adopted by the seven-nation grouping at the forthcoming ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Doha.

India and Pakistan will be represented by their respective commerce ministers, Murasoli Maran and Abdul Razak Dawood, while Nepal will be represented by Agriculture and Cooperation Minister Mahesh Acharya and Sri Lanka by Justice Minister Batty Weerakoon.

Bangladesh and Maldives are not participating in the meeting. Bangladesh had sought more time for preparations for the meeting while the Maldives, which is not a member of the WTO, was not keen to attend, officials said.

The significance of the meeting lies in the fact that this will be the first ministerial meeting of Saarc since the Kargil conflict in early 1999 when Indian and Pakistan-backed forces waged a near war in the strategic heights of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Kargil conflict had resulted in the stalling of the Saarc process and the Colombo meeting of the foreign secretaries marked the revival of that process.

Observers said the visit of the Pakistani commerce minister reflects the common perceptions of New Delhi and Islamabad on WTO issues, particularly agriculture, services, labour and environmental standards which have significant bearing for developing countries.

But observers have noted that any common Saarc stand on WTO would have little credibility, given Pakistan's opposition to trade with India.

South Asian countries have expressed misgivings about attempts by some developed countries to expand the agenda of the WTO ministerial meeting to be held at Doha in November.

"It is essential that obligations already entered into be fulfilled in the first instance before taking on fresh commitments and obligations," the commerce secretaries of Saarc nations said in a statement.

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has stressed that while India is prepared to discuss all issues relating to global trade with an open mind, it is keen that unmet obligations of the past should be fulfilled first.

Vajpayee had also emphasised that labour and environment issues be kept out of the WTO agenda as these could lead to further non-tariff barriers.

Commerce secretaries of the Saarc countries met here to chalk out a draft statement, which would be put up for consideration and approval of the Saarc ministers when they meet.

The commerce secretaries' meet, which was attended by all members barring the Maldives, recommended that the ongoing consultations in Geneva by Saarc ambassadors to WTO be intensified to include other like-minded countries.

It also urged that a common agenda for the Doha meet be finalised without further delay.

Indo-Asian News Service

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