Lamy to visit India on April 5

World Trade Organisation Director-General Pascal Lamy will come to India on a two-day visit beginning April 5.

The visit is being considered important in the wake of the April-end deadline for establishing modalities in agricultural and industrial products.

This will be Lamy's first visit to India since taking charge as DG of the WTO. Lamy is likely to meet Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The meeting assumes significance as it comes ahead of the crucial General Council meeting of the WTO slated to be held in Geneva end-April.

Officials said Lamy is visiting New Delhi at the invitation of Unctad and Icrier, who are organising seminars on WTO on April 5 and 6 respectively.

"His visit is intended to size up India ahead of the intense negotiations as he is keen to have atleast partial modalities by April end," the official added.

Lamy is scheduled to meet commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath and the two are expected to discuss the entire gamut of the WTO issues.

India would reteriate the need for less than full reciprocity in Non-agricultural Market Access, the livelihood and food security concerns in agricultrue and the need for special products and special safeguard measures.

Addressing the Trade Negotiations Committee on March 28, Lamy highlighed the need to move ahead in negotiations. "We have 33 days to go to establish modalities. The moment of truth is therefore fast approaching. We do not have time to waste," he told member countries.

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