Shourie to attend London WTO meet

India will be represented by Union Divestment Minister Arun Shourie in the informal World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting convened by US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in London this month-end to break the deadlock in trade negotiations.

Zoellick has convened this two-day informal meeting in London beginning April 30 to narrow the differences on contentious agriculture negotiations.

He had extended invitation to key trade ministers of European Union, India, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt, Japan and Mexico, among others.

Union Commerce Minister Arun Jaitley has already sent a letter expressing his difficulties in attending the meeting in view of the ongoing elections.

The Prime Minister's Office was of the view that India could not go unrepresented in this all important meeting that may way find ways to break the deadlock.

Also, both US and EU have indicated that they will show some flexibility on contentious issue of phasing out of export subsidies, which may pave the way for moving forward in the stalled talks by evolving a framework on agriculture and non-agriculture market access.

It was for this reason, Arun shourie who had served as a commerce minister briefly and earlier represented India at WTO mini ministerial, has been chosen to attend this meeting, official sources said.