Breakfast planned for WTO's G-33

Minister of Trade Mari E. Pangestu is to host a breakfast meeting on Saturday at the Hilton Hotel for representatives of 33 developing nations to discuss the fight for special and differential treatment for farm products liberalization in the World Trade Organization.

Iman Pambagyo, representative from the Ministry of Trade, said on Thursday that Saturday's mini-ministerial meeting was aimed at refreshing commitments in pursuing the cause at the WTO, ahead of the upcoming WTO Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong in December.

"Indonesia, as the coordinator of the group, has invited G-33 member ministers who happen to be attending the Asian-African Summit this week," Iman told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Indonesia, together with other developing countries, is fighting for a measure at the WTO to protect domestic staple foods, such as rice, sugar, soybean and corn from the influx of cheap imports. -- JP