Confident of breakthrough in WTO talks, says Nath

India has expressed hope that the European Union and the US will be able to prevail upon each other to correct the structural flaws in Global trade.

"I am hoping for a breakthrough and I am hoping that both the European Union and the US will be able to prevail upon each other," India's Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath told reporters yesterday shortly before a meeting with WTO chief Pascal Lamy here.

Asked whether he was ready to dilute his position, he shot back saying "I have no position to dilute because what I am asking for removal of structural flaws."

Asked whether there was going to be a deal, he said: "We do not agree to perpetuating the structural flaws in agriculture. If they want to call that a deal, well, I can't comment on that."

"What do I dilute? I am not going to say structural flaws are good thing." To a question on pinning the responsibility, the commerce minister said: "It lies historically in the way global trade has been structured. That needs to be corrected in terms of both industrial goods and agriculture."

Developing countries led by India are insisting that rich nations, including the US cut farm subsidies which have led to global trade distortions against the purported goal of the WTO to lay the rules for a level playing field. On the other hand, America is pressing the developing countries to slash industrial duties.

Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told US President George W Bush that India was comfortable with most of the features of the draft text which could be the basis for discussions toward an agreed outcome in Agriculture and Industrial Tariffs (NAMA).