India today strongly opposed any move to mix environment issues with trade talks, saying such a mixture could upset developing countries' trade agenda.
"Environment is a separate subject and there are multilateral forums...That's the place where they (environment) go. When you try to blend them, the mix can be combustible," Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar told reporters here.
Khullar, who is India's chief negotiator at WTO, said that efforts are being made to push non-trade related issues like environment through the "back door" in the multi-lateral talks for a global trade deal.
"...Environment-related issues are being brought on international agenda and... there are serious moves to bring it through the back door into the WTO," he said.
However, he said the environment issue may not come up in the ongoing Doha Round of global trade talks.
"I don't think they will come up during the Doha talks, but the problem is (that) it is too much in the air already and it is not possible any longer to pretend that this will not happen... 2-3 years from now, this (environment) will be a live issue, we better be ready," he said.
Developed economies like the US and EU are contemplating certain rules in relation to trade and environment which will have a significant implication for their border trade measures such as carbon taxation system for imports.
The Commerce Ministry today released booklets aimed at starting "intellectual debates" on compatibility of green laws with the WTO rules.
