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WTO draft for end to farm subsidies by 2010
G-20 to press for amendments
Hong Kong, December 17
The WTO today came out with the draft Ministerial text that proposes to end farm export subsidies either by 2010 or by 2013, but left many other contentious issues undecided, reflecting modest progress in breaking the impasse.

A riot policeman is hit by South Korean protesters with a stick as other protesters break through a police line on their way towards the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong, on Saturday.

A riot policeman is hit by South Korean protesters with a stick as other protesters break through a police line on their way towards the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Hong Kong, on Saturday. — Reuters photo



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Brazil President talks to Manmohan
Hong Kong, December 17
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has taken a major initiative for successful conclusion of the WTO Doha Round by reaching out to the world leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W. Bush.

Hamas wins big in Palestinian election
Ramallah (West Bank) December 17
The militant Islamic group Hamas won in three out of four Palestinian cities in a local ballot seen as a bellwether for a January election.

India, USA to go for agro projects
Washington, December 17
With a view to give a fillip to agriculture cooperation, India and the USA have decided to focus on innovative joint projects in the public and private sector for increasing agricultural productivity.


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WTO draft for end to farm subsidies by 2010
G-20 to press for amendments
Deepshikha Sikarwar

Hong Kong, December 17
The WTO today came out with the draft Ministerial text that proposes to end farm export subsidies either by 2010 or by 2013, but left many other contentious issues undecided, reflecting modest progress in breaking the impasse.

Though the 44-page draft text made some forward movement on ending export subsidies, it remained silent on the end date for finalisation of full modalities of the agreement.

The text gives two dates for ending export subsidies, one being 2010 and the other being five years after the implementation of the agreement, which starts in 2008. This clause will give developed countries time till 2013 to eliminate export subsidies.

On the other contentious issue of phasing out trade distorting domestic support, the text proposes three bands for developed countries for reduction, while exempting developing countries from any commitment.

India’s concerns on Special Products and Special Safeguard Mechanisms have been somewhat reflected in the draft but there was not much specificity, officials said.

The text provided some relief to developing countries, as it has prevented developed countries from shifting subsidies from one box to another to continue them in a different form.

The draft text also suggests eliminating cotton subsidies by next year, a key demand of poor West African countries. more

The draft said that the date for eliminating export subsidies would be confirmed only after completing all the modalities for implementation.

On Non-Agriculture Market Access, the draft makes it clear that tariff cuts for industrial goods will be based on Swiss formula though it did not mention a specific formula or the coefficient that would be used for reductions.

Reductions in industrial tariffs has been a key demand of rich countries like the US and the European Union, while poor and developing countries like India have been opposing steep reductions to protect their domestic industries.

The text, released on the penultimate day of the Ministerial, also shows progress in arriving at an agreement for granting duty-free and quota-free market access to Least Developed Countries. However, some provisions are still in brackets implying that talks had not been completed on them.

The Draft Ministerial Text released here, after five days of Green Room battle, has been received as ‘’liveable’’ by the Group of 20. The most influential Group of 20 described it as a modest step forward in reaching the development goals of the Doha Round.

The G-20 endorsement paves the way for the Hong Kong Ministerial to come out with a positive joint declaration even though it may contain a lot of divergent views in brackets tomorrow.

Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath along with Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim described the draft as a positive but inadequate movement. While it is below our expectations, it does not block the way, Mr Amorim, the Co-ordinator of the G-20, said.

At their joint press conference, Mr Kamal Nath said the text recognised the importance of food and livelihood concerns by accepting the Special Products and the Special Safeguard Mechanism.

Though the G-20 tried hard to pin the developed countries down on giving an end date of 2010 for total elimination of the export subsidy, the best that the European Union could do was to agree to disagree. The date of 2010 has been put in brackets conveying an area of disagreement among the 150 member countries. The G-20 is happy that at least the EU has come on board on the most contentious issue of agreeing to a date.

We know by putting the date in brackets, they want to continue violation of the traffic signals, Mr Kamal Nath said.

The G-20 members, in their resolve to get a better deal on agriculture, said they would move amendments and fight for them throughout the night on the penultimate day of the Ministerial Meeting. — PTI, UNI

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Brazil President talks to Manmohan

Hong Kong, December 17
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has taken a major initiative for successful conclusion of the WTO Doha Round by reaching out to the world leaders, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President George W. Bush.

President Lula da Silva has spoken to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said here today after release of the first Draft of the WTO Ministerial Meeting.

Mr Kamal Nath himself has been briefing Dr Manmohan Singh, about the state of play at the Ministerial Meeting, especially with regard to the issues of concern to India. — UNI

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Hamas wins big in Palestinian election

Ramallah (West Bank) December 17
The militant Islamic group Hamas won in three out of four Palestinian cities in a local ballot seen as a bellwether for a January election.

Hamas won in the West Bank cities of Nablus and Jenin as well as in the town of al-Bireh, adjacent to Ramallah, which was the only city where the mainstream Fatah faction prevailed in an alliance with Marxist and independent lists.

But Hamas's success was more muted among the 37 West Bank villages that participated in the fourth round of municipal voting on Thursday. It won in only three villages. President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction won in most of the rest.

“The elections were free, fair and transparent. There were no violations except for the continuation of the election campaign on the day of voting but that did not affect the process,” said Jamal al-Shobaki, head of Local Election Commission.

The results illustrated Hamas's grass-roots strength especially at a time when Abbas's ruling Fatah faction is in disarray after a group of popular leaders broke away to form their own faction for the January 25 general election.

Hamas's support among Palestinians is partly the result of its corruption-free reputation as well as its charity network.

Hamas did well in the previous three rounds of the municipal vote and it is expected to make a strong showing in the last phase to be held in early 2006.

The last round will be held in Hebron and Gaza City, where support for Hamas is high.

The militant group, which has carried out dozens of suicide attacks against Israel, won 13 seats out of 15 in the traditional Fatah stronghold of Nablus.

Hamas's only loss in the latest round of municipal voting was in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the current seat of the Palestinian government, where it won three seats in the 15-seat local council.

Israel said on Thursday if Hamas achieved political dominance it would spell an end to all hopes for peace talks because the group is sworn to destroying the Jewish state. — Reuters

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India, USA to go for agro projects

Washington, December 17
With a view to give a fillip to agriculture cooperation, India and the USA have decided to focus on innovative joint projects in the public and private sector for increasing agricultural productivity.

At the first board meeting of the United States-India Initiative on Agriculture, both sides laid the groundwork for a new chapter in partnership, US Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, Chuck Conner said.

“Over the past two days the Board of the U.S.-India Knowledge Initiative has laid the groundwork for a new chapter in our partnership by focusing on innovative joint projects in which both the public and the private sectors can cooperate”, Mr Conner said.

“These projects will promote the development and adoption of science and technology to increase agricultural productivity. The board has taken a step toward invigorating our tradition of knowledge exchange”, he added.

The bilateral Knowledge Initiative Board has eight members from each country representing the academia, government and the private sector.

The Co-Chairs of this initiative are Ellen Terpstra, Administrator of the Foreign Agriculture Service in the USDA and Mangala Rai of India’s Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director General of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research.

New Delhi and Washington had last month signed a declaration to formalise a Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture. — PTI

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