Lamy's India visit may break WTO deadlock

NEW DELHI, APRIL 2 - Keen to fizzle out the logjam in WTO talks, director general Pascal Lamy will be on a two-day visit to India - an influential member of the world body - beginning on April 5.

As India is one of the main leaders of G-20 and NAMA-11 blocs, Mr Lamy has expressed his desire to interact with all stakeholders in the country relating to the ongoing WTO negotiations in agriculture, non-agriculture market access (NAMA) and services.

After the Hong Kong ministerial, there is a deadlock in negotiations in all these three main sectors. Mr Lamy wants the negotiations to conclude by April 30 on basis of the Hong Kong ministerial draft.

He had said unless some breakthrough was found before the month-end, it would amount to letting go it, what could perhaps be the last opportunity to salvage the Doha Round.

The Union commerce ministry and United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in India are jointly planning to host Mr Lamy