Lamy, Kamal Nath call for resumption of world trade talks

Mumbai: Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organisation and Indian commerce minister Kamal Nath have made a joint call for the resumption of the stalled global trade talks.

Kamal Nath said India is ready for another go at reaching an agreement, if flaws which work in favour of the developed nations are removed.

''India is committed to the round," Nath said adding the industrialised nations have to come to the negotiations not with a mindset of ''what you can get, but what you can give."

However, if the principles of discussions have to change keeping in view the interest of the rich nations, ''it would be a tough going" he added.

''The good news is there may be still a possibility to move this forward and conclude negotiations within the time-frame, that is end-2008," Lamy said after one-to-one discussions with Kamal Nath.

Representatives from the US, the UK, Canada, Brazil, Belgium, Japan, and Uruguay, among other countries are attending the conference.

WTO chief is in India seeking a clear "political" signal from the Indian leadership whether New Delhi will support renewed attempts to wrap up a Doha deal by year-end.

Lamy, who met prime minister Manmohan Singh, also exuded confidence that there could still be the possibility of reaching a market opening and subsidy cut agreement among the 153 nations of the WTO.

He would be travelling to Washington next week to assess the political mood in there.

''My simple message here in Delhi and next week in Washington is that (members should) look carefully at what is on the table and not on results," he said at a CII meeting.