Doha development round in jeopardy: Commerce Minister

India on Wednesday expressed fear that the WTO’s Doha Development Agenda (DDA) appears to be in “jeopardy” and stressed that history will “judge WTO ministers poorly” if inequities in global trade are allowed to perpetuate.

“The reform process, which was started after the Uruguay Round in the form of the Doha Round, appears to be in jeopardy. Negotiations have spilled over in Nairobi, which makes matters very complicated,” Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, while addressing the plenary at the 10th ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) being attended by 160 trade ministers of the member countries of the global trade body. “The manner and haste with which important negotiating meetings are being convened does not inspire confidence,” she added.