Cancun, Sept 14: With no progress to break the deadlock between developed and developing countries on contentious agriculture and Singapore issues, the ongoing WTO ministerial may be extended by a day and there is a strong possibility that trade ministers might agree to meet again in Geneva in March next year to thrash out the differences. Even if the trade ministers agree to a watered down declaration, sharp differences persist with developing countries insistent on ensuring that their concerns are addressed.
This may force the chairman of the conference, Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Debrez, to agree to convening of another ministerial in Geneva sometime in march next, well informed trade sources said.
Tribute goes to former commerce minister Murasoli Maran who singled-handedly fought for the cause of developing countries at Doha. Bureau Report