Need more flexibility to protect poor farmers: Nath

  • 18/07/2008

  • Economic Times (New Delhi)

COMMERCE minister Kamal Nath has reiterated that flexibilities for developing countries in the Doha round of talks must be adequate and appropriate for addressing the sensitivities of individual members. There can be no caveats such as number and trade volume limitations as proposed by the US to the usage of these flexibilities, he said at a meeting with World Trade Organisation director general Pascal Lamy in Geneva. Mr Nath laid down the key Indian concerns on agriculture and Nama (industrial goods). In agriculture, he said India hopes to use the revised text on Special Products (SPs) and Special Safeguard Mechanism (SSM) to help promote the Indian farm sector, an official release said. Mr Nath is scheduled to attend a G-33 meeting and meet Argentina's trade secretary Alfredo Chiaradia and Brazilian foreign minister Celso Amorim later on Friday. These meetings are important as it would help developing countries to effectively coordinate their efforts for the ministerial negotiations beginning on July 21.