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| Obama constrained, India liberated on trade: Bhagwati |
| Press Trust of India / United Nations Oct 17, 2009, 12:46 IST |
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India should push for closing the Doha talks on the areas that have been agreed upon, India's leading economist Jagdish Bhagwati has said and asked New Delhi to take a lead on the contentious talks as Washington was "stuck".
"President Obama is just stuck. Publicly his silence on trade is eloquent," Bhagwati told world diplomats over a high-level lunch meeting at the United Nations yesterday.
"The two elections have given rise to very different governments. Obama is constrained on trade. India has been liberated on trade and it is high time to recognise that," he added.
The academic who teaches at Columbia University called for sealing the deal on the issues that have achieved consensus, but simultaneously called for a new round of talks for the remaining disputed topics such as agricultural subsidies.
"India if it goes for that position then it can provide real leadership," he said.
The economist also pointed out that without the support of the unions, the manufacturing lobbies and service lobbies, Obama would not be able to act effectively.
"Even if he comes around in favour of closing the round, he is going to be a general without troops," Bhagwati said.
"We've negotiated for more than eight years. It's time to close the rounds on the agreements we've broadly arrived at," he added.
During the occasion, deputy US Representative to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) John F Sammis defended the Obama administration said every nation had to deal with its internal dynamics.
"If this was easy I think we would have been done years ago," Sammis told the gathering.
"But I don't think anyone who listened to President Obama's remarks at the UN would doubt the extent of US engagement with the world, our commitment to reinvigorating multilateralism and diplomacy," he added.
The Indian Minister for Trade, Anand Sharma, who had spoken extensively on the need for a fair and equitable Doha agreement, also expressed faith in the US at the discussion.
"I know what the US has conveyed the willingness to engage and to conclude, and secondly not to revisit those issues where the gaps have been closed," he said.
While Bhagwati acknowledged that some progress had been made since the Bush administration, there was no significant movement.
Noting that the President had not said one pro-trade remark since his election, the economist told PTI, "Obama cannot move. He never has been interested in trade. During his campaign he had to be anti-trade to get elected".
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