African and other developing countries have been urged to remain firm in united positions in order to defend the interests of the continent and its people in the ongoing trade negotiations in the World Trade Organization ( WTO).
Addressing a news conference in Nairobi on Thursday, a senior official from the Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Negotiations Initiative (SEATINI) said pressures were mounting on African and other developing countries to show flexibility and willingness to negotiate including agreeing to some of the critical issues.
Yash Tandon, SEATINI from Zimbabwe, called on African trade ministers who are meeting next week in Rwanda to consolidate their positions in the ongoing trade negotiations in the WTO.
The meeting takes place amidst mounting pressures from the European Union and the United States on African countries to agree to their demands on some of the critical issues.
African countries will be asked to increase their tariff bindings on industrial goods, open up their service sectors to foreign corporations and agree to the Singapore issues -investment, competition policy, government procurement and trade facilitation..
The appearance of flexibility on the side of the EU and the United States is designed to destroy the unity and the negotiating positions of Africa and other developing countries. Furthermore, African countries would sign away crucial areas for benefits which might prove illusory in the long-term, said Peter Aoga of EcoNews Africa.
The EU is also imposing its trade agenda on African countries through the regional so called Economic Partnership Agreements ( EPAs), which in essence are free trade agreements.XINHUA:
