INTERVIEW : KAMAL NATH

'The main issue was livelihood of millions of poor farmers'

Posted: Thursday, Jul 31, 2008 at 2357 hrs IST
Updated: Thursday, Jul 31, 2008 at 2357 hrs IST

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Gold the most preferred investment

: will not happen.

The talks having failed, do you think India is losing out in anyway?

We are not losing out. India is already growing at 8.5%. We possibly cannot look at gaining on one hand and fail to secure livelihood security of the poor on the other.

Was India isolated at the G-7 talks?

In the G-7, I was alone speaking. But, not in terms of membership. In terms of membership, we had a backing of over 100 countries, including the G-33 (group of countries including India , Indonesia , Cuba , Philippines and Venezuela , all with defensive interests in agriculture), African Group (comprising all African WTO members) and the ACP group (including African, Carribean and Pacific nations).

Were there issues other than SSM that were unresolved?

Yes. The issues of (reduction or elimination of ) cotton subsidies of the US, the issues of industrial products (where the US insisted that developing countries should eliminate duties in certain infant and vulnerable industries in developing countries) and (overall trade distorting farm) subsidies of the

US, were left unresolved. The US did not want to get into discussions on cotton subsides. The US has their positions and some positions are dictated solely by commercial considerations.

What is the way forward now for the WTO?

India ‘s confidence in this institution of WTO and the multilateral system remains intact. I think what is on the table should be left on the table and we should consider this as a pause and then pick this up, move forward and run that extra mile.

What about the unity of all our alliances, especially the G-20, considering that Brazil has broken away?

The unity will remain intact because nobody is willing to bargain or sell off issues which affect the poorest people in their respective country. It is due to the joint efforts of G-20 that we have got this far. G-20 is a diverse group and that is what gives it credibility and each member respects the other....

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