India not to be blamed for Doha Impasse

India’s commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma said on Saturday that India was not responsible for the impasse at the world trade organisation’s (WTO) Doha round negotiations. The minister said that India was only looking to defend its and other developing country’s farmers in their legitimate right and that it would try its best to ensure that a suitable middle path with the developed world is found.

After the talks failed last year following a deadlock, the blame was put on India by some countries, in particular the US and European Union. However, over time it was realised by most members that it was sticky stand by the US and huge subsidies by the European Union which were responsible for a stalemate.

Negotiations failed last year on issue of switches of the safeguards mechanism. In simple words, the developing countries led by India and Brazil and the developed countries led by the US were not able to agree on the degree of surge required in farm import that would allow a developing country to switch on the safeguards to protect its farmers. While India wanted a lower percentage hike in imports to start the safeguard mechanism, the US wanted it to be much higher, which India found too high to guard the farmers’ interests.

Nonetheless, New Delhi has now called a meeting of key trading countries which will primarily involve leaders from the G-20, African Group led by Egypt, the US and the European Union. The meeting to be held later this week is expected to break some ice and help countries find some sort of common ground before formal negotiations begin.