India has important trade interests on tropical products and we cannot accept decision among a few as a fait accompli – India 's Ambassador Ujal Singh Bhatia
In his Statement at the Meet yesterday, India 's Permanent Representative to the WTO, Bhatia said, During the negotiations this week, India has shown considerable flexibility with the objective of enabling the negotiations to move ahead towards conclusion. However, I would like to emphasise that our flexibility and our constructive engagement are premised upon us receiving comfort on the key issues that concern us especially issues which affect the livelihoods of the millions of subsistence farmers and fishermen in India and the protection of infant and vulnerable industries.
He also mentioned;
In NAMA, we are somewhat confused regarding new aspects being raised on the Sectorals issue. We had very detailed negotiations on this issue before the last text was issued and we were under the impression that we had settled the issue. We would like to stress that the voluntary nature of the mandate has to be preserved at all costs. We cannot have a situation where Sectorals are made mandatory. We hope that we can find a solution fully consistent with the mandate.
Bangladesh finds itself in a strange situation. On the one hand, it has found no comfort for its market access problems through the DFQF initiative. On the other hand, its situation as a disproportionately affected member has not been recognised. In this Development Round, an LDC member cannot be put at a double disadvantage.
The unfinished business includes a number of issues relating to disciplines in domestic support. Needless to say, commitments for reduction of trade distorting support will only have meaning if they are accompanied by strict disciplines. In yesterday's Green Room, a number of delegations spoke in favour of 100% tariff simplification. As we have pointed out earlier, this issue has important implications for transparency and equity. We find it difficult to understand why some developed countries should resist tariff simplification when developing countries, both in Agriculture and in NAMA, are moving towards 100% simplification.
NAMA = Non Agricultural Market Access
DFQF = Duty Free Quota Free (market access)
LDC = Least Developed Countries