The Hong Kong ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) next month may be followed by another ministerial within the next few months to conclude the ministerials unfinished agenda.

According to sources in the commerce ministry, in the recent meeting of a group of 20 countries in Geneva which included India, US, EU, and Brazil, among others, it was felt that it would not be possible to arrive at the modalities for talks on key issues including agriculture, non-agriculture market access (Nama) and services in Hong Kong.

The WTO secretariat is trying hard to reach an agreement on major issues by the end of 2006 as the US trade promotion councils mandate to carry out the ongoing negotiations will expire in 2007.

PTI