BHURBAN, Sept 8: The Group of 20 trade ministers arrived here on Thursday as the two-day crucial discussions among the trade ministers begin on Friday. The discussions would, inter alia, revolve around agriculture, which is central to the Doha Development Agenda (DDA).

They would reaffirm their commitment to achieving the objective of full modalities for reducing farm trade distortions by the 6th WTO ministerial conference to be held in Hong Kong in December.

The delegates include Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath; Argentina Secretary of State for Economic and Commercial Relations Secretary of State for Economic and Commercial Relation, Afredo Vicente Chiaradia; Benin Ambassador Samuel Amehou; Vice Minister of Finance and Foreign Trade Bolivia Jorge Asin Capriles; Director of Multilateral Economic Affairs, Chile Mario Matus; China Ambassador to WTO Sun Zhenyu; Director, International Organization, Ministry of External Trade Cuba Ernesto Marziota; Egypt head of commercial mission Geneva, Bahaa Elattar; Amassador Permanent Mission of Guatemala in Geneva Eduardo Sperisen-Yurt; Secretary for Commerce , Industry and Technolodgy Hong Kong John Chun Wah Tsang; Vice Minister Economic Affaiars Ministry of Foreign Affairs Paraguay, Rubin Ramirez; Under secretary department of agriculture Philippines, Segfredo Roque; Deputy Minister Department of Trade and Industry South Africa Robert Haydn Davies andVice Minister of Commerce, Thailand, Dr Suwit Maesincee.

Some of the participants would expect to arrive on Friday morning, which included Brazilian minister of external relation Celso Luiz Nunes Amorium; Minister of Agriculture Republic of Indonesia Anton Apriantono; Under Secretary International Trade Mexico Angel Villalobos Rodrigues; Nigerian Ambassador to WTO Y.F Agha; Uruguay Mission in Geneva Ricardo Gonzalez; Minister for Comerce Trade Zambia Dipak Patel.

The G-20 countries is pushing other WTO member countries particularly the least developed and developing countries to conclude DDA negotiations in 2006 in a way to eliminate trade distorting policies in agriculture maintained by developed countries and providing market access for all products.

The Group has a wide and balanced geographical representation and consists currently of 20-member countries: Five from Africa — Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe; Six from Asia — China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand and Nine from Latin America — Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela. It is being coordinated by Brazil, however, in small group meetings both Brazil and India represent the group.

A senior official told Dawn that the G-20 ministers would take stock of the negotiations on agriculture and future strategy for the upcoming ministerial conference.

The negotiators would discuss various formulas for cuts and disciplines in domestic support, end date for export competition, formula for tariff reduction, selection and treatment of sensitive products, special and differential treatment provisions for developing countries as regards special products and special safeguard mechanism.

According to the official, the meeting would also discuss at length, blue box criteria; review and clarification of green box criteria.

The G-20-member countries would also discuss at length other areas of negotiations in the WTO — non-agriculture market access (NAMA); services sector, trade facilitation, rules and others.

The officials said the ministers of the G-20 have met on numerous occasions, but specifically two G-20 Ministerial Conferences had been organized in Brazil and India respectively. Since this is the WTO Ministerial year, the Ministerial Conference of the G-20 is being organized at a very opportune time.

It is expected to give political guidance to the negotiations leading up to the WTO’s 6th Ministerial taking place in Hong Kong, December 2005. The negotiations at Geneval since July 2004 were behind schedule in spite of the G-20’s efforts and expectations, the official added.