ARUN JAITLEY TO ATTEND G-20 MEETING AT BRAZIL

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Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Law & Justice, will be attending the meeting of G-20 countries on agriculture to be held at Brasilia, Brazil, on 11 & 12 December, 2003. The Minister will be accompanied by the Commerce Secretary, Shri Dipak Chatterjee.

The objective of the G-20 meeting is to assess the current state of play in the WTO negotiations, particularly in the agriculture sector; to strengthen cooperation among the members of the G-20 and to develop a further strategy for the G-20 in the WTO negotiations. The meeting assumes significance in view of the fact that it will be taking place just 3 days prior to the scheduled meeting of the General Council of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at Senior Officers level in Geneva on 15 December, 2003.

Apart from India, countries which will be participating in the G-20 meeting at Brasilia: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, Indonesia, Philippines, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, South Africa, Thailand, Tanzania, Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Mr. Pascal Lamy, the EU Trade Commissioner, will also be attending the meeting, along with the Director General of WTO, Mr. Supachai Panitchpakdi.