FICCI and Centre for WTO Studies jointly organized a special address by Dr. Harsha Vardhan Singh , Deputy Director General , WTO on 3rd June 2010 on “WTO Doha Round Negotiations : The way forward and where does the balance lies?”

The main agenda of meeting was to discuss the significance and current state of play of the Doha Round Negotiations in WTO after the stock taking meeting that was held in March 2010.

According to Dr. Singh , the way forward for the Doha Round Negotiations can be seen ” in three ways , Doha Round Package , Engagement of WTO members in the negotiations and effect on the multi trade system “

Dr HarshaVardhana Singh at FICCI

Criticising the ‘attempts’ by rich countries to change the basic purpose of the Doha Round negotiations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) from ‘development’ to ‘market access’, India on Thursday said it would not provide market access without reciprocal gains.

This comes in the backdrop of recent reports that the US has asked India, Brazil and China to take up a more “responsible” role at the Doha Round talks matching with the gains they have made from global liberalisation.

“No market access above the level of what exists can be given for free. But if at all countries agree, then certainly they’ll demand payment from those who are demanding the market access. This is the language of WTO,” India’s chief negotiator at the WTO and an Additional Secretary in the Commerce Ministry, Mr D.K. Mittal, said at a FICCI seminar.

Speaking on the occasion, root explorer apk the WTO Deputy Director-General, Mr Harsha Vardhana Singh, said, “Without moving forward and achieving a successful result in the Doha Round, we would be gradually weakening the multi-lateral trading system.”

He said, “So the desirable and balanced way ahead is clear, that is to conclude the Doha negotiations which has substantial benefits already on the table.”

He hoped that the increasing level of engagement that is being witnessed at present will intensify even further in the coming months as the economies pick up world-wide.

Mr Singh said an important feature of several of the not yet fully resolved items is that when the few major issues start being settled, there will be negotiating momentum to settle these others too