London: Endorsing India's stand fully, Britain on September 4 asserted that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico, next week should draw up among other things a framework for substantial reduction in agricultural subsidies and import tariffs to bring economic benefits to all, including developing countries.

Secondly, the WTO conference should help developing countries secure better access to markets for their industrial goods, British Trade and Industry Minister Patricia Hewitt told reporters.

"The rich countries of the world cannot preach free trade abroad and practice protection at home," Hewitt warned.

The other two aims of Britain at the conference would be to work towards flexibility in WTO agreements, so that developing countries might implement them at a pace appropriate to their circumstances and agree a way forward on each of the four so-called "Singapore" issues – trade, facilitation, transparency in government procurement, competition and investment.

Hewitt will lead the British delegation at the talks, where key issues have to be agreed by consensus of nearly 150 member countries to enable the "Doha Round" to be concluded by the target date of January 2005.

The British Minister is optimistic that the talks would be successful, but warned that failure would be disastrous, setting back the prospect of removing millions from poverty and even damaging WTO.

PTI