India forces its agenda on WTO

 The G-21, a coalition of 21 developing countries, today scored a major victory at the fifth World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting, when it got the trade body to include its proposals on agricultural negotiations in the draft ministerial text.

 At a press conference, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez Bautista, the chairman of the Cancun ministerial, said the facilitators preparing the ministerial text had been asked to consider all proposals submitted by members and factor in the mandate given in Doha in 2001.

 The G-21, of which India is also a part, had said the WTO draft text was not in line with the goals set out at the Doha ministerial meeting.

 The framework presented by the G-21 was in response to the joint proposal submitted by the US and EU on August 13.

 The US and the EU have opposed the alliance