Key WTO members meet tomorrow to discuss Doha Round

The trade ministers of th key WTO members, including India, Brazil and EU, will meet chief of the multilateral body Pascal Lamy on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum meeting here tomorrow to discuss the progress of the Doha Round.

"The developed countries have much to gain from the Doha Round and more to lose if it is not concluded," Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said and pointed out that discussions will be informal and technical issues will not be taken during the meeting.

Besides Lamy and Sharma, the meeting will be attended by the trade ministers of Australia and other some other countries. US trade representative Ron Kirk, however, will not be there, though America will be represented by his colleague.

Kirk's absence will be felt at the meeting as America, which is engrossed in domestic problems following the global financial meltdown, is apparently not very keen to push the Doha Round, launched in 2001.

The Doha talks were to conclude in 2005, but due to divergent views on some of the issues between the developed countries like the US and the developing nations such as India, the talks could not be concluded.

The vexed issues include high level of farm subsidy in the developed countries, demand for better market access for industrial products in the developing countries, level of farmers' protection in the poor and developing countries like India.