Doha talks may round up by year end

Prospects of the conclusion of the Doha Round of trade talks before the end of 2006 have brightened with the meeting of about 25 trade ministers of different countries here on Saturday agreeing to a time-frame for submitting the comprehensive schedules of negotiations for agriculture, non-agricultural market access, services and trade facilitation.

According to the deadline, the comprehensive draft schedules based on the modalities for negotiations for agriculture, non-agricultural market access and trade facilitiation are to be submitted by July 31 and those for services have to be submitted by October 31.

Addressing journalists at the end of the mini-ministerial meeting, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said there was no "deadlock" in the Doha Round talks, as only a month had lapsed since the Hong Kong declaration in December. He, however, maintained that as many as 33 issues in agriculture had to be sorted out by July 31.

"The United States and the European Union must make the first move. The artificiality of agriculture prices must go as we cannot pay a price for something that they should not be doing at all," he said.

US Trade Representative Robert Portman said a detailed workplan to complete the World Trade Organisation negotiations under the Doha Round had been finalised.

"If we fail to come together , we will lose an opportunity," Portman said. He also argued that the US had made an offer on agriculture that did not make his government very popular with farmers back home.

"None of us can walk away from the Doha Round," he said when asked if the European Union was also agreeable to making concessions.