India stresses farm issues for Doha deal

India today stressed that the crucial issue of agriculture should be resolved to the satisfaction of developing countries for the successful conclusion of the WTO Doha Development Round.

"If there can be a breakthrough and an agreement on agriculture, all other aspects like non-agricultural market access (Nama) and services will fall in place," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said here.

"The developmental outcome of the Hong Kong meeting is the critical factor. When I say developmental outcome, I mean that at the end of Hong Kong, developing countries must feel and believe that they have gained something in the Doha Round. That can only happen only if the critical issue of agriculture is resolved," he said, while commenting on the vexed WTO negotiations.

"We have emphasised this point both in Washington and here (Xianghe) that developed countries must address the issue of export subsidies to agriculture," Chidambaram said during an interview on the sidelines of the seventh G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting, which concluded here in the picturesque northern Chinese city.

He noted that the G-20 finance ministers and central bank governors have declared their commitments to the WTO process and have expressed their desire that the Hong Kong WTO ministerial meeting should reach deliverable results.

"We agreed a successful WTO Doha round is critical for ensuring globalisation truly benefits all countries, and would make a key contribution to achieving the millennium development goals (MDGS)," the G-20 said in a communique here.

"We urge all parties concerned to provide the necessary political impetus to promote trade liberalisation, fight protectionism, and make real progress at the WTO ministerial conference to be held in Hong Kong, China, later this year, with the view to concluding the negotiations by the end of 2006," it said.

"We are committed to significantly increasing market access for goods and services, reducing trade-distorting domestic support, eliminating all forms of export subsidies in agriculture, providing effective special and differential treatment for developing countries, and increasing aid for trade to enhance the capacity of developing countries to take advantage of expanded trade opportunities," the G-20 said in the communique.