'It is unfair to put entire blame on US'

today said it was unfair for countries to expect the US to take the lead in offering fresh concessions at the World Trade Organisation.

Bhatia, who is in town to attend the India Economic Summit, talked to our correspondent Monica Gupta about this issue, among others. Excerpts:

Are you having any bilateral discussions with the Indian government during your visit here?

I always look forward to the opportunity to talk to my counterparts in the Indian government whenever I come here. I will be meeting Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath today and I will be holding a meeting of the Indo-US trade policy forum with the new Commerce Secretary GK Pillai on Tuesday.

What are the specific issues that the US is looking to raise at the forum's meeting tomorrow?

The meeting is more in the nature of a review of the discussions so far. But we are looking to raise some bilateral issues and matters of interest to us, particularly intellectual property rights and issues of market access.

There is a view that much has happened in terms of resolving bilateral issues since the forum was set up...

I disagree. We have managed to address some of the non-tariff barriers. The forum has been in existence only for about a year. It is an institutional mechanism that is making good progress. We have had such mechanisms with countries like China for about a decade.

The US had agreed to import Indian mangoes but that still has not happened...

When we made the announcement that we will accept Indian mangoes we had indicated that the procedures back home would take some time.

The procedure is expected to take about 18 months. We are making good progress and hope to be able to import mangoes by the end of the next year. We ourselves are looking forward to having Indian mangoes there.

WTO Deputy Director-General Pascal Lamy has been asking member-countries to return to the negotiating table. With the US elections over, are you optimistic about talks beginning soon?

I do believe that the working groups should sit down regularly and take the issue forward. Getting ministers together and holding ministerials does not always help. I am optimistic that there will be some movement now.

EU countries and developing countries like India are of the view that it is now entirely up to the US to take the talks forward. They are waiting for the US to make a fresh offer...

I think it is unfair for others to put the blame entirely on the US. We were the first to offer to undertake cuts in our domestic support. We are in fact waiting for countries like India, China and Brazil to make fresh offers for giving developed countries market access.

But with all countries waiting for the others to move first, how do you see any progress happening in the WTO?

All countries need to make a move. It will not work if all countries expect the US to make the first move.