Anand Sharma to meet US Trade Rep Ron Kirk

Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma will meet US Trade Representative Ron Kirk and other ministers from both developed and developing countries during the three-day Cairn's Group meeting in Bali, beginning Sunday.

Sharma would be discussing the issues of common economic interest with Kirk, including the areas of differences between the developed and the developing countries that have stalled conclusion of the Doha Round of negotiations.

On June 1, Sharma had a telephonic conversation with Kirk and they had exchanged views on the present economic crisis.

"I just had a telephone conversation with the US Trade Representative Ron Kirk... We had the preliminary exchange of views on the present economic crisis, how adversely it is impacting different regions," Sharma had said.

The Cairns group is a coalition of 19 agricultural exporting countries, comprising nations like Argentina, South Africa, Brazil, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Chile. Though India and the US are not members of the group, they would use the opportunity for exploring ways to bridge gaps in protracted WTO negotiations.