WTO members seek conclusion of Doha Round within 2011

Trade ministers from key WTO member countries, including India, today agreed that efforts needed to be stepped up to conclude a multilateral trade deal this year under the Doha Round.

"In the meeting lasting three hours, there was an optimism that a window of opportunity (for concluding the deal) in 2011 can be accessed," India's Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma told reporters here after the deliberations.

Besides India, about two dozen ministers from the US, European Union, Brazil, China, South Africa, Australia and Japan were present at the informal meeting of WTO members hosted by Swiss Federal Councillor of Economic Affairs Johann N Schneider-Ammann.

On the US demands that developing countries should contribute more for conclusion of the Doha deal, Sharma said "the demands have to be reasonable".

Meanwhile, the Swiss minister is believed to have said at the meeting that 'those who asked for more should be prepared to pay more'.

Differences between rich and developing nations have been a stumbling block in the conclusion of the talks. India and other developing nations are defending their agricultural markets to protect millions of subsistence farmers from easy imports that may result from the multilateral agreement.

The US and the other developed countries, however, seek more market access in developing nations, including India.

Doha round of talks under the aegis of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) started in the Qatari capital in 2001 for achieving a global trade deal, but a breakthrough has not emerged as yet.

On the eve of the meeting on the sidelines of annual World Economic Forum (WEF), India, Brazil, South Africa and China had met yesterday.

Parleys were also made last evening by the Group of Seven including India, South Africa and Brazil to give a push to the Doha Round of talks.

Sharma said that among the members "there is a consensus that we should try and conclude the deal this year".

While the ministers said that the talks were held in a frank atmosphere, sources said that the US persisted with the same old demands.

The sources added that several ministers said that efforts should be made that the drafts (on agriculture and industrial goods) are ready by April and an agreement is reached by July.

There was no specific proposal discussed in the meeting and everybody was stocking with their old demands, they said.