Pakistan has asked European Union (EU) to do away with anti-dumping duty on Pakistan's bed linen, especially keeping in view the earthquake devastation in the country.
"I have asked EU Trade Commissioner, forcefully, to eliminate anti-dumping duty on bedlinen, which he promised to send to the EU anti-dumping committee with 15 days," Commerce Minister Humayun said here.
Briefing journalists, he said that there should be no confusion as Pakistan's officials who were negotiating with other groups and countries were giving first priority to national interests.
He said that previously it was thought that this conference would help in formulating modalities for reduction and elimination of agriculture subsidies, but the present situation suggests that the member countries are ready to replace modalities with re-collaboration to equal opportunities of progress to all countries.
He said that such thinking could lead the member countries to find the road for 2006 which is the deadline to complete Doha Development Agenda.
Humayun said that he had started meetings with representatives of other countries as Nama facilitator to discuss fundamental issues, but all this would depend on co-operation between the organisation, and added that he would take care of all the demands of Nama member countries.
Pakistan along with other developing countries is asking cut in agriculture subsidies up to 54 percent and this proposal is already on the negotiation table. However, EU apparently is willing to slash subsidies by 50 percent on average.
He said that joining the Cairns group for Non-Agriculture Market Access (Nama) negotiations would serve Pakistan's cause as the group is aggressive on its demands and has a say in the negotiations. He said that being Chairman of Nama negotiation Pakistan would benefit due to this position.
He said that in the services sector Pakistan would seek concessions from the developed member countries in Mode 1 and Mode 4 so that export of manpower could be enhanced. Pakistan after getting assurance from them would then give concession to other countries in other services sectors.
Asked if India has left G-20, he said that India was very much in the group. However, its position is defensive due to market access.
Asked if developed countries were ready to give concessions to developing countries, he said that developed nations were agreed to become flexible.
Asked whether it was not good for Pakistan to be member of only one group (Nama or G-20), the Minister said that membership of two groups was in the best interests of the country.
Meanwhile, addressing the 15th consultative meeting of members of Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), hosted by IDB, he said that the bank should assist weaker countries financially in the process of adopting the PTA and urged the member countries to ratify the agreement at the earliest as this would bring them closer in trade and other areas of interest. The consultative meeting was organised by the IDB a day prior to the WTO conference.
Humayun said that the basic objectives of the OIC and its specialised organisation, the IDB, are to promote economic and commercial co-operation among Islamic states. Realising the importance and role of the WTO and the Doha Round, the Bank has been actively organising workshops and brainstorming sessions on the key WTO agenda items.
"I understand that this year they held successful brainstorming meetings for WTO ambassadors and other delegates at Geneva, Istanbul, and OIC headquarters at Jeddah." The fact that its dedicated conference on trade facilitation at Jeddah on 27-28 Sept, 2005 was attended by over 40 countries and all relevant international organisations appreciated the professional work of the Bank.
The minister pointed out that this consultative meeting carried a lot of importance as issues and views would be exchanged which would be taken up at the 6th WTO ministerial conference which is also very crucial because Doha Round has to be concluded by the end of next year for the growth and improvement of the world economy.
He said a successful and ambitious Doha Round was vital for world economy in general but more specifically for developing countries. The minister said that during next few days, issues pertaining to agriculture were vital for all OIC members and all would stand to gain if trade distortions created by huge subsidies by rich countries were eliminated and their markets opened further.
The OIC members, with either offensive interest or defensive interest, had been actively negotiating through various WTO groups such as G-20, G-33, Cairns group or other such groupings, to promote their interests, he said. Besides these groups, he said, many OIC members have pursued their objectives vis-à-vis agriculture via fora such as the African Union and the LDCs.
Humayun said cotton was another issue of vital importance to several OIC members and, thanks to successful lobbying and negotiating efforts, it is now in the forefront of negotiations. "For many of us," he said, "flexibility to designate a number of products as Special Products based on criteria of food security, livelihood security, and rural development needs is also critical."
The other key issue the minister said was non-agriculture market access (Nama) and Pakistan being a facilitator on Nama, details would not be dilated at this juncture. But it holds critical area for the OIC member states, he added. Products produced in OIC member countries are subjected to high tariffs though many enjoy preferences, and are also unable to make full use of them because of complex rules of origin.
In addition to tariff peaks and tariff escalations, OIC members face serious non-tariff barriers as well. The Islamic countries also need market access to each other's markets. There is need of flexibilities in more sensitive sectors and should try to cut tariff so that there is an ambitious result which would be beneficial for all.
The minister said that most of the OIC members have key interest in other major areas of negotiations such as services, rules, development issues, trade facilitation etc. Many OIC members, which are LDCs, would like to see binding commitments from developed as well as advanced developing countries for duty-free and quota-free access for their products.
The OIC is having a wide membership. Therefore, it would be natural that they would have different interests on different issues. However, there are many common areas of interest. Therefore, a brainstorming session at this juncture would help in better understanding each other's areas of interest and sensitivities and this exercise would clearly benefit all.
Humayun urged the OIC members to take active part in the WTO negotiations and suggested that those developing countries with meagre resources and having no expertise to cover all areas of negotiations should be assisted by other Islamic countries.
The minister congratulated Dr Hashim Abdullah Yamani, minister of commerce and industry of Saudi Arabia on becoming 49th WTO member on December 11, 2005, and said this would also strengthen the OIC in group negotiations at the world forum.
Earlier, President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali, said that the Bank played a unique role in joint Islamic action as a reputable international Islamic institution. He said that the Doha round holds so much promise to developing countries and the LDCs and we want its early conclusion.
He said agriculture remains one of the most important sub-sectors of the economies of developing countries. That is why the current impasse in the negotiations raises widespread anxiety among all countries. Development in this area of negotiations is of the utmost interest to a number of OIC countries, he added.
Lack of consensus on modalities for further reform is an unfortunate setback in the negotiations, especially considering the fact that progress in agriculture influences development in all of other aspects of the Doha Work Programme, he asserted.
Dr Ahmad Ali stressed the need for early solution to the problems facing the cotton exporting African countries.
Similarly, he said, the area of non-agricultural market access (Nama) is also of immense interest to a number of developing countries, and added that IDB's WTO related technical assistance programme covers several activities such as trade policy courses, seminars, workshops, studies, consultative meetings for the OIC member countries in preparation for the WTO MC-6.
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