Pakistan seeks Doha Round's conclusion

ISLAMABAD - Ambassador of Pakistan to WTO Dr Manzoor Ahmad said that the country, being textile and cotton exporter, is interested in conclusion of the Doha Round. He said if the round was not finished this year, it might be extended for another few months, and Pakistan would turn out to be a loser, as its products were facing high tariffs in the developed countries' market particularly in the US and the EU. Speaking at interactive meeting with civil society organizations, arranged by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, here on Friday, Dr Manzoor Ahmad briefed the participants about the Doha Round negotiations. He also highlighted the implications of some decisions made at the Doha Round for Pakistan.   He also threw light on recent development in the Doha Round negotiations in the areas of agriculture, industry and services. After giving the background of WTO and its different rounds of talks, he highlighted the implications of some decisions of the negotiations for Pakistan.   Welcoming the comments from civil society, the envoy stressed for quality research and feedback on the issues of Pakistan's interest. He said the cut in tariffs could lead Pakistan towards more agricultural value-addition, which is presently very low.    Expressing his optimism, Dr Manzoor said that the greater market access of textile and clothing sector under the current round of negotiations on industrial goods would benefit Pakistan a lot.  Elaborating his point, the Pakistani envoy at WTO said that these benefits from market access should be seen and calculated in terms of the whole package at the conclusion of the round. 

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