Govt, Opposition in sync over WTO talks

Major opposition parties today asked the government to move cautiously on agriculture to protect the interests of Indian farmers. They said the sector should not be opened up unless developed countries committed themselves to undertaking real cuts in their agricultural subsidies.

This was said at a consultative meeting held by Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath with the BJP, Biju Janata Dal, the Shiv Sena, the AIADMK and the Janata Dal (U), ahead of the sixth World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting at Hong Kong next week.

"There was basically a meeting of the minds, as both sides agreed that India had to move carefully on agriculture and that interests of farmers had to be protected," a senior official said.

BJP general secretary and former commerce and industry minister Arun Jaitley pointed out that the July framework agreement of the WTO had sought to delink market access from the reduction in subsidies.

He cautioned the government that the two are intrinsically linked. "India should tighten its shield as far as market access is concerned, taking care not to delink it from the question of subsidies," Jaitley said.

Nath shared Jaitley's views and assured the Opposition parties that India would not concede on agriculture, unless the developed countries agreed to real and substantial cuts in their trade-distorting support.

Jaitley also said India stood to gain in the services and manufacturing sectors at the WTO.

The government will consult the Nationalist Congress Party, DMK, BSP, RJD, SP and trade union leaders of INTUC, AITUC, BMS and CITU on the issue tomorrow.