Asia sees hurdles for new WTO talks<\/p>\n
HANOI (Reuters): While Southeast Asian countries back the
\nlaunching of a new trade round they see major hurdles that need
\nto be overcome if that is to happen in Qatar in November, Thai
\nand Philippine officials said on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"ASEAN has already said we can support the launching of the
\nnew round,\" Philippines assistant secretary for trade, Jose
\nAntonio Buencamino, told reporters ahead of a meeting of Asia-
\nEurope trade and economics ministers in Hanoi next week.<\/p>\n
\"That's not the issue,\" he said. \"The issue is: 'Is the
\nprospect bright enough for launching?'. In our assessment, the
\nprospects are not bright right now, but the prospects persist.\"<\/p>\n
Trade ministers from the 141 WTO member countries will meet in
\nDoha, Qatar, on November 9-13, with many of them hoping a new
\ntrade round can be launched there.<\/p>\n
Buencamino described two changes to WTO rules proposed by
\nindustrialized nations, covering foreign investment and the
\nenvironment, as \"non-starters\".<\/p>\n
He said there were fears the investment proposals would
\ncircumscribe the rights of governments. \"If that is the case, I
\ndon't think we can agree to that,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Manila would have \"very serious problems\" with a European
\nUnion white paper on food safety, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The objective is to be able to direct how food is produced,
\nthe way it is distributed, until it reaches the tables of the
\nconsumer,\" Buencamino said. \"On the basis of what? Political
\nsensitivities; not just science and consumer concerns.<\/p>\n
\"We might as well talk about everything under the sun in the
\nWTO if non-trade issues can come in just like that.\"<\/p>\n
The director-general of the Thai Commerce Ministry's
\nDepartment of Business Economics, Boontipa Simaskul, said Bangkok
\nwould like to see the announcement of a new trade round in Qatar.<\/p>\n
\"But somehow, we also find there are positions that are quite
\nfar apart, particularly in the five issues -- environment,
\ninvestment, competition policy, implementation and agriculture.\"<\/p>\n
Boontipa said ministers from Asia and Europe would aim to
\nnarrow differences in two days of meetings in Hanoi from Monday.<\/p>\n
\"If both of us can be flexible to help bridge the gap, then it
\nwill somehow help the launching of the new round,\" she said.
\n\"(There's) not much time left. No one can tell if there will be a
\nnew round or not, but we will try to work on it.\"<\/p>\n
Last weekend, trade ministers from the United States and the
\nEuropean Union said after a meeting in Mexico of rich and
\ndeveloping countries that they saw an improved chance of
\nlaunching world trade talks this year.<\/p>\n
But last month seven South Asian countries -- India,
\nBangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan
\n-- said a new round should not be held until previous commitments
\nwere met.<\/p>\n
India said the previous Uruguay Round of 1994 had brought
\nhardly any worthwhile gains to developing countries even though
\nthey had been told they stood to benefit massively.<\/p>\n
Vietnam, which is not a WTO member, also called earlier this
\nweek for proper implementation of existing agreements.<\/p>\n
A week-long series of meetings in Hanoi on trade and
\ninvestment will involve 15 European countries, the 10 member
\nAssociation of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan,
\nSouth Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the United States.<\/p>\n
Buencamino said ASEAN countries would have to work hard to
\nchange the dimmed European perception of their region as an
\ninvestment destination, although he expected little in the way of
\nconcrete initiatives to emerge from the talks.<\/p>\n
\"The Europeans themselves are saying 'the region has to do
\nsomething to keep our attention',\" he said. \"It's not on the
\nagenda, but the whole Asia region needs to be integrated, that's
\nthe answer.\"<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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