India raises pitch against protectionism

Ahead of the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Geneva next week, India today said protectionism by some countries need to be opposed and delay in reaching a global trade-opening deal will harm developing countries.

"We are concerned about the global economic crisis and its impact on the developing and poor countries. Protectionism is also not good for the world economy," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said before leaving for the 6th WTO Ministerial Meeting beginning Monday.

Without naming any, he said some countries are trying to look inward.

Though the Ministerial Meeting among 153 member countries --the highest policy organ of the WTO-- does not have substantive negotiations on the agenda, the progress of the Doha Round in the last eight years will come up for review on the sidelines.

The three-day meeting will focus on institutional issues like the functioning of the WTO secretariat.

Sharma will meet his counterparts from the US, EU as also meetings of different alliances of the developing countries. He is being assisted by a high-level team of officials led by Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar.

While Sharma said there was convergence on 80 per cent of the issues relating to opening of the world trade, differences need to be resolved on the rest.