Maran takes a hard stance says India wont be steamrollered into trade talks
New DelhiThe government took a hard line against a new round of global trade talks and accused developed countries of trying to set an agenda that insults poor countries by ignoring their concerns.
Commerce minister Murasoli Maran was especially critical of the European Union for wanting to put investment and competition on the agenda.
US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick visited New Delhi last week to persuade India to join efforts for the launch of a new round of global market-opening talks at a ministerial conference of the 142-nation World Trade Organisation in Doha, Qatar, in November.
But Maran said his priority was to get rich countries to implement the promises they made, particularly on freer trade in agriculture and textiles, during the 1986-1994 Uruguay Round of trade talks.
Many developing countries are suspicious about the promise of a new round because they believe they have still not benefited from the Uruguay Round, and many want something in return for their liberalisation efforts, which have opened doors for rich-country investors and exporters to their markets.
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