Malaysia will support new round of trade talks<\/p>\n
Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Malaysia supports a new round of World Trade Organization
\nnegotiations, but doesn't want "extraneous matters" such as
\nexploitation of child workers to creep in, Prime Minister
\nMahathir Mohamad said Friday.<\/p>\n
"Our stand is that we are not against a new round of talks,
\n(but) we want to determine what is the agenda," Mahathir told
\nreporters after addressing a conference on terrorism.<\/p>\n
"We don't want people to bring in extraneous matters like
\nchild labor and things like that. That is not trade. That can be
\ndealt with in the (International Labor Organization). We want to
\ntalk about trade."<\/p>\n
After a six-day conference in Qatar, trade ministers from the
\nWTO's 142 member countries reached agreement Wednesday to start a
\nnew round of talks that would focus on lowering tariffs, a common
\ncompetition policy and nondiscriminatory investment rules.<\/p>\n
The agreement, reached after difficult negotiations, was
\nwidely hailed as a success after talks on a new round of world
\ntrade collapsed two years ago amid acrimony that richer nations
\nwere steamrolling developing nations' concerns.<\/p>\n
Some developing nations are opposed to including issues such
\nas labor standards and protection of the environment as
\nconditions of trade liberalization, claiming such conditions are
\na form of protectionism that favors rich countries over poorer
\nones.<\/p>\n
While consideration of issues such as labor standards were
\nonce insisted on by U.S. and European officials, they were
\nlargely left out during the Doha meetings.<\/p>\n
Industry and Trade Minister Rafidah Aziz said that Malaysia
\nwill be ready to negotiate four new trade issues in two years,
\nincluding investment, the environment, competition policies, and
\ngovernment procurement, the Bernama national news agency
\nreported.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysia-will-support-new-round-of-trade-talks-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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