US is not serious on Doha talks: India

India today said the US was not serious about Doha negotiations in Geneva for a World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement on opening global trade.

“... Their (the US) ambassador (to WTO) is not in place. Their negotiators are still not confirmed ...,” Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar said at an Assocham function here.

Citing examples of lack of seriousness, Khullar said, in the services negotiations last week, India had sent officials of the rank of additional secretaries, while junior level functionary of the US was present.

US Trade Representative Ron Kirk was absent at the informal meeting of trade ministers at Davos last month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual conference.

Trade analysts find protectionist signals coming from the US, which may dim the prospects of the conclusion of the much-delayed Doha Round of talks in 2010.

“...Protectionist signals from the US could act as an obstacle in the conclusion of the Doha Round of talks,” Rakesh Mohan Joshi, international trade expert with the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) said.