WE DID NOT YIELD AND PROACTIVELY
ENGAGED IN THE NEGOTIATIONS: JAITLEY
CONCERNS
OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BROUGHT CENTRESTAGE AT CANCUN
India did not
yield on any issue at Cancun and engaged pro-actively in the negotiations,
Mr. Arun Jaitley, Minister of Commerce & Industry and Law
& Justice told newspapers at the conclusion of the 5th
Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in
Cancun (Mexico) on 14 September, 2003. ¨The fact that we brought
the concerns of developing countries to the centrestage reflects
the success of Cancun¨, Mr. Jaitley said, adding that the most
important factor which helped the delegation in Cancun was the
unanimity of national opinion behind the broad stand that the
government took after extensive consultations with political parties,
trade unions, industry associations and others, prior to the Cancun
Ministerial. He said India was able to carry the debate into the
camp of those with whom it was negotiating and the coalitions
forged on Agriculture and the Singapore Issues remained intact
till the end.
The G-22 coalition
on Agriculture has left its impact on the WTO agenda, he said.
Speaking to
newspersons on the outcome of the Cancun Ministerial Conference,
Mr. Jaitley said: "The Conference has concluded today without
reaching a consensus or a detailed Ministerial Declaration. We
had all come here with the hope of getting a good deal on agriculture
and on non-agricultural market access. We have effectively put
across our views on the Singapore issues which found wide support
and pursued our proactive interest in services. I have a sense
of satisfaction in as much as, both before and during the Ministerial
Conference, India actively engaged in the trade talks. We were
continuously pro-active. We played our role to the best of our
abilities to push certain issues to the centrestage of the agenda.
But I regret that the Draft Declaration which came out yesterday
after the first three-and-a-half days of negotiations did not
properly reflect the aspirations of a very large number of WTO
member countries – especially those on Singapore issues and agriculture.
And, after this Draft, consensus kept on eluding the Conference.
Efforts were made to build up a consensus in the course of last
24 hours, but consensus could not be reached….. Trade negotiations
(however) are an ongoing process. There is never a last day as
far as the calendar of trade talks is concerned, and I am sure
that, notwithstanding a consensus eluding us here, trade negotiations
will continue where we will effectively put across India´s concerns,
as we have done in the last few days in Cancun".
Earlier, during
the meeting of the G-22 on Agriculture, Mr. Alec Erwin, Trade
Minister of South Africa, said the Group had "altered the
balance of negotiations in the WTO". Several other Ministers
observed that coalitions at Cancun both on agriculture and Singapore
issues had deepened the integration of developing countries into
the multilateral trading system.
