Cong hails Nath's stand at WTO

Endorsing Commerce Minister Kamal Nath's 'walkout' from the mini-ministerial conference of the WTO in Geneva two days back, the ruling Congress party today said that India could not afford to have imports of agriculture produce from developed countries, especially the US and the EU, without tariff barriers.

"Indian farmers are good enough to compete with farmers anywhere in the world, but they cannot be expected to compete with the US treasury," party spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said in a press briefing today.

"It will create an unequal, non-competitive and non-level playing field. The present style of WTO talks must be focused on the need of developing countries. We must also remember that the agriculture interest in the US is is backed by multinational companies...," he said.