By Priya Ranjan Dash appeared in "The Times of India" on November 25, 1999

NEW DELHI: Commerce and industry minister Murasoli Maran, who will head the Indian delegation at the Seattle meeting of WTO from November 30 to December 3, is wary of making promises. ``I too have my anxieties'' (like Indian farmers, workers, industry, trade and consumers) about the outcome of the global trade talks, he concedes.

He, however, asserts that ``national interest'' will be the ``touchstone'' for Indian negotiators and they will adopt a practical approach to maximise benefits and minimise losses in the ``package deal'' to be struck among 134 nations.

``I do not know whether we will succeed or not,'' Maran said in an exclusive interview to The Times of India, on the eve of his departure for Seattle. ``What will be the outcome is a million-dollar question,'' Maran said, pointing out that it will not only depend on India's stand but also on the position other countries, especially the world trade majors - the US, the European Union and Japan - take.

``When 134 countries negotiate, there will be two-way traffic, give and take and trade offs. We are prepared for that. The outcome will be a single package. Our job will be to maximise our benefits and minimise losses,'' Maran declared. He said after consultations with political parties and various interest groups, he believes that there was a national consensus on such an approach.

``As of today, there is nothing called a single bloc of developing countries,'' Maran said, indicating that each country is looking at its own possible gains and losses. ``To further our interests, we will seek issue-based support from the various countries, both developing and developed. This time India will not be alone,'' he asserted.

Maran said: ``We are talking to like-minded countries. We have met many recently in Geneva. We will also get new friends in Seattle.''

Maran said at India's request, Egypt, the current chair of the Group of 15 (G-15) developing countries has convened a meeting in Seattle on November 29, a day before the WTO meeting begins. ``We will try and consolidate the commonality of approach to several issues which G-15 countries have struck,'' he said.

Maran said India was ``generally'' opposed to linking extraneous issues such as core labour standards and environment protection with the global trade regime because this could be used as protectionist device by the developed countries to deny market access to developing countries. India also does not favour the future work programme of WTO to include such other subjects as framing of global rules for cross-border investment flows or a worldwide competition policy.

Maran said he expects a number of countries to support India on these issues. ``It is not as if India is afraid of standing alone on these issues if it comes to that, but I hope that such a situation will not arise,'' he said.

Maran said India wanted imbalances and inequities in the past WTO agreements to be ironed out. These issues pertaining to the proper implementation of the agreements reached in the Uruguay round of world trade talks are top priority for India. ``I expect support for the proposals in this regard submitted by India along with 12 other countries,'' Maran said, indicating that India is willing to back fresh negotiations in a number of areas if its concerns about implementation of existing agreements are put on board.