July 21, 2008	Monday	Rajab 17, 1429

ISLAMABAD, July 20: A ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) starting on Monday is widely believed to be the last hope for securing an international trade deal if a breakthrough is achieved in the stalled negotiations of the Doha development round.

Trade ministers from 30 leading countries are gathering in Geneva in an attempt to complete the delayed Doha Round by the end of the year.

The main blocs at the gathering are led by the United States, European Union, Brazil and India and they are pursuing their interests in the round.

Commerce Minister Ahmed Mukhtar left for Geneva on Sunday, leading a team of four officials of the ministries of commerce, agriculture and industry and the Federal Board of Revenue. Pakistans permanent mission to the WTO in Geneva, headed by Ambassador Manzoor Ahmad, will assist the team.

Sources told Dawn that Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Shah briefed a meeting presided over by the minister on Pakistans position and plan for the talks.

There is no representative of the private sector in the delegation. Pakistan is an active member of several alliances of developing countries, including the G-20 and G-33, which are striving to ensure that ‘development dimensions’ of the Doha Round are safeguarded.

The commerce secretary said: “We have a strong official team based in Geneva. They will assist our delegation,” he added.

Analysts said substantial progress was not expected in the talks on modalities for cutting tariff on industrial goods and doing away with farm subsidies.

The US, EU and other developed nations and blocs are mounting pressure on the large and growing economies like India, China, Brazil and South Africa to open their markets for agricultural and industrial goods.

However, with a national election in the offing, India is likely to seek space for protecting its 650 million small and marginal farmers in an otherwise open global market.

The analysts said the Bush administration would try hard to ensure that an agreement was reached before the US presidential election season. The 27-member EU is divided in a neo-liberal and a protectionist camp.

France, a major beneficiary of the EU farm subsidies, is seeking support from other countries in a bid not to commit any reduction in domestic subsidies to farmers, while EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has warned the protectionists that a failure this time may delay a deal for years.