ISTANBUL - State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Tuesday that the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiation process had suffered a serious defeat as no result was gained in the WTO meetings.
Tuzmen returned from Mexico, where he attended the WTO Fifth Ministerial Conference, to Turkey.
State Minister Tuzmen told reporters that the meeting which was attended by 146 countries was a scene of intensive discussions, but no compromise was reached in the end.
Tuzmen said that the meeting was not useful for developed and developing countries and went on saying, ''in fact, it may be a bit unjust to say that the discussions totally resulted in failure. Although significant progress was recorded, issues like bringing forth agriculture and taking up non-agricultural products later, investments we attach importance, incentives, transparency in state tenders, lifting obstacles in entrance to a market, and facilitating trade were not given the prior place.''
''We can say that WTO negotiation process has suffered a serious defeat. It is not easy to unite 146 countries. But, in the meeting held in Doha in 2001, it was stressed that the WTO would respond to demands of developing countries. However, developed countries have not taken big steps in these issues since then,'' Tuzmen noted.
Tuzmen stated that lifting subsidies in agriculture, export and goods was important for Turkey.
Reducing tariffs as much as possible was also important, Tuzmen emphasized.
Tuzmen said, ''no development has been recorded in decreasing tariffs on agricultural exports. When we look at the industrial products, we see that market flexibility still continues. We will continue our preparations.''
''However, continuation of negotiation process is not beneficial to developing countries. Because, decreasing tariffs on agricultural products can be considered important. But, on the other hand, the developing countries said that they would continue their subsidies and incentives. Therefore, no development has been recorded. In fact, the WTO has currently undertaken a big responsibility. But, the structure and regulation of the organization was away from shouldering this responsibility,'' Tuzmen noted.
Tuzmen stated that the meeting was a lesson for the organization to structure its decision-making mechanisms to work more rapidly.
''The meeting once more showed the need that the developed countries should give importance to demands of developing countries,'' Tuzmen said.
Tuzmen pointed out that he had the opportunity to meet with agriculture and trade ministers of Britain, Italy, France, Mexico, Ukraine, China and Taiwan.
He brought onto agenda problems stemming from imbalance in free trade agreements of Turkey in a separate session held with the trade ministers of Morocco, France and Italy, Tuzmen said.
Tuzmen stressed that the outcome of WTO meetings was a loss for all the world and nobody gained in the end.
''Our target was to increase our share in world trade volume around 8 trillion U.S. dollars. We exerted efforts to reach this target,'' Tuzmen added.
(BRC-AÖ) 16.09.2003