Asia

Senior Chinese Official Criticizes U.S. bilaterals on Doha, Sees No Room to Meet

Original Publication Date: 
27 November, 2009
Source: 
Daily News
Geneva -- A senior Chinese official has strongly criticized as ineffective and counterproductive to the multilateral Doha round negotiations a U.S. effort to extract more market access concessions from key countries in bilateral meetings.

WTO Wirodhi Bharatiya Jan Abhiyan: Statement on the Eve of 7th WTO Ministerial in Geneva

Original Publication Date: 
29 November, 2009
Source: 
WTO Wirodhi Bharatiya Jan Abhiyan
The negotiations in various negotiating groups in Geneva are proceeding in a non-transparent manner. However, there are reasons to believe that India has substantially moved away from its earlier position, particularly in regard to Agriculture as well as NAMA (Non-Agricultural Market Access) and is virtually ready to accept what was dramatically rejected by the erstwhile Commerce Minister Kamal Nath less than a year ago under the UPA-I. The reasons for such a volte face are not known. The statements emanating from government spokespersons give the impression that ground is being prepared for justifying such an eventuality.

Mustapha to attend WTO ministerial meeting

Original Publication Date: 
29 November, 2009
Source: 
The Online Star
KUALA LUMPUR: International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed will attend the Seventh World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference next week, which will discuss progress of the Doha Round.

Action Press Release: The European Union Must Stop False Solutions to Climate Change

Original Publication Date: 
25 November, 2009
Eleven days before the fifteenth Conference of the Parties under the United Nations’ Climate Change Convention that will be held in Copenhagen between the 7th and the 18th of December, an issue which remains controversial is the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the European Union and the Indonesian government, designed to support trade liberalisation between the two region as well as increase cooperation in the mitigation of climate change, in part through the provision of 550 million Euros of funding.

India Betrays Farmers and Workers by Endorsing WTO December Texts; Mini-Ministerial Results in More US Demands

Original Publication Date: 
4 September, 2009
The much hyped Delhi mini-ministerial ended today with most developing country delegates saying that it was business as usual with negotiations going back to Geneva and Chairs of the Negotiating Committees of the Doha Round. However, Indian Commerce Minister Sharma summarized the meeting by saying that both the G20 and the G33, "were of the view that the texts of December 2008 must form the basis of future work."

Biggest emitters fail to show the way forward

Original Publication Date: 
10 June, 2009
Source: 
Financial Times

Kathrin Hille in Beijing and Edward Luce in Washington

China and the US failed to achieve a breakthrough at their latest round of
climate talks on Wednesday, raising the stakes in the global effort to fight
global climate change.

The two countries responsible for almost half of the world¹s greenhouse gas
emissions ended three days of negotiations in Beijing.

While there are still months to go until the December meeting in Copenhagen,
where 181 countries, led by the United Nations, plan to work out a new

Call to Indian Government: No WTO-Doha compromise

Original Publication Date: 
18 June, 2009
Source: 
Focus on the Global South
Date: 18 June, 2009 Dear Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh, As the newly formed UPA coalition government is just settling in to govern for the next five years, there is news that Commerce Minister Anand Sharma is already on his way to the United States (US) to bilaterally iron out differences to seal the trade deal that was launched during the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) 4th Ministerial Meeting in Doha. At stake in these trade negotiations are hundreds of millions of livelihoods in the farming and non-agriculture sectors that India has fought hard to preserve over the past eight years since the launch of the Doha Development Round.

US pressure on Indian Cabinet formation?

Original Publication Date: 
16 June, 2009
Source: 
Indian Express
There is a rather odd interview Anand Sharma has given to Reuters. He is off to Washington and the interview comes just before the visit. Part of the interview is about India being keen to break the deadlock in WTO negotiations.

The EU India FTA: Critical Considerations in a Time of Crisis

Original Publication Date: 
11 June, 2009
Source: 
Shefali Sharma, CENTAD
The paper broadly examines the core trade interests of the EU and India, the content of the negotiations and outlines some key concerns of a potential deal for India in the areas of goods, services and investments, intellectual property rights and government procurement.

India: House panel opposes foreign investment in retail

Original Publication Date: 
8 June, 2009
Source: 
The Wall Street Journal
New Delhi: A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended a blanket ban on foreign investment in retail and has opposed even big domestic corporate entering the sector saying that it will lead to unemployment.

India committed to successful conclusion of Doha process: Anand Sharma

Original Publication Date: 
8 June, 2009
Source: 
Press Information Bureau - Government of India
In his special address to the Cairns group, in Bali today, Shri Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry has reiterated the Indian commitment to the successful conclusion of the Doha process through a constructive engagement.

SNR Coalition Statement on the Doha Round Negotiations

Source: 
Stop the New Round Coalition (SNR)
The Stop the New Round Coalition (SNR) joins peoples’ organizations and movements across the globe in calling for the rejection of the WTO Doha Round and we demand that the Philippine government turn around and walk away from these unfair and unjust negotiations.

WTO rejoices over Kamal Nath's exit from trade and commerce

Original Publication Date: 
1 June, 2009
Source: 
Blog: Ground Reality

Geneva heaves a sigh of relief. With Kamal Nath moved out of the Indian Commerce Ministry, the probability of concluding the contentious Doha Development Round of the WTO appears much brighter. Not that Kamal Nath was un-necessarily throwing spanners but his strong grip over the trade negotiations helped India to resist bullying and arm-twisting by the big boys of international trade.