India, Brazil, SA Take Stock Of WTO Farm Talks

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New Delhi, March 4: With the US and the EU showing flexibility on contentious agriculture issue at the WTO negotiations, India, Brazil and South Africa have met here to review the situation and formulate a united strategy for the developing countries. The meeting comes ahead of agriculture negotiations beginning in Geneva on March 22 which is expected to prepare the ground for resumption of stalled multilateral trade talks and evolve a framework for completion of the Doha round of negotiations.

“We are relatively positive about the March meetings. These definitely have better prospects than earlier,” said Brazilian foreign minister Celso Amorin who along with commerce minister Arun Jaitley checked the American-European attempts to bulldoze their agenda on the developing countries at the failed Cancun ministerial. However, Amorin told PTI that the framework should not backtrack on what is laid on the table.

Besides Amorin and Jaitley, South African foreign minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma also attended the meeting. American trade respresentative Robert Zoellick had met the three separately recently as part of his efforts to restart the stalled trade talks.

Endorsing Amorin’s views, Jaitley said the G-20 comprising among others India, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt are formulating a united strategy that will blend offensive and defensive interests to have have a balanced approach.

Meanwhile, New Delhi has decided to contribute $1 lakh to a trust fund proposed to be set up together with Brazil and South Africa under the aegis of UND to address problems of poverty and hunger and ensuring improved access to education, health and sanitation.

New Delhi’s offer was made during parleys Yashwant Sinha had with his counterparts from Brazil and South Africa at the two-day India, Brazil, South Africa dialogue forum here.

Addressing the forum, foreing minister Yashwant Sinha emphasised the need for the grouping to redefine globalisation.