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  • Feb 1st, 2005
  • Comments Off on India sees WTO talks making headway on services
India is confident that issues such as services will get equal billing with agriculture in world free trade negotiations after weekend talks in Davos, Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said Monday. Nath, who is concerned too much emphasis is being put on farm reform, said trade ministers had agreed progress had to be made in all areas, including services and industrial goods.

"We agreed at our meeting on Saturday that services just cannot remain in the abstract ... We want the same degree of intensity on services," he told Reuters on the fringes of a pharmaceuticals conference in London.

India is not a big exporter of farm goods and therefore has little gain from concessions from rich nations on reducing farm subsidies and lowering barriers to agricultural imports. But it has a thriving software industry and huge numbers of highly trained professional workers, who could gain access to jobs in Europe and North America if the services negotiations make it easier to get temporary permits.

Copyright Reuters, 2005


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