India presses for majority view in WTO talks

In a plain-speak to the developed countries, India Saturday said global trade cannot progress if interests of three-fourths of the world's population are held 'hostages' to the commercial interests of a few. 'Development is a global good. Trade cannot flourish, if the interests of three-fourths of the world's population are held hostage to the commercial interests of the few that already command global trade,' India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva, pti reported. Sharma also conveyed India's strong reservations on proposals which seek to get global trade agreements involving only a small number of WTO members, overlooking a large majority of the 154 members. 'I have heard suggestions for negotiating issues amongst a critical mass of members. This path is fraught with risk. Plurilateral agreements are a throwback to the days when decisions taken by a few determined the future of the rest,' he said. Since no agreement could be achieved in the last 10 years in Doha negotiations, it has been suggested by rich countries like the US that the key members of developed and developing groupings can sit in smaller groups and work out deals. India is vehemently opposing it. But to show flexibility, Sharma said on its part, New Delhi is open to considering new issues within the mandates of the regular WTO organs as long as these are discussed in inclusive and transparent manner. 'The world is not static. Nor are the challenges and issues that affect global trade,' he said. Sharma also cautioned against protectionism being resorted to by some countries through new instruments. 'The challenge is to deal with these new forms of protectionism that tend to militate more against developing countries.'