Ankara: Hitting out at developed countries, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on September 17 said the failure of the Cancun World Trade Organisation (WTO) meeting showed that those who lectured developing nations on immediate sacrifices for long-term gains were not willing to follow their own prescriptions.

"If developing countries are to hold out for a more open and non-discriminatory global trade regime, India and Turkey should co-ordinate their positions with other like-minded countries," he said in his key- note address to the Centre for Strategy Research.

Contending that with large rural populations, the two countries were particularly interested in removing distortions and inequities in the regime for export of agricultural commodities, Vajpayee said the failure of the Cancun WTO meeting "illustrates that those who lecture us on immediate sacrifices for long-term gains are not willing to follow their own prescriptions".

The Prime Minister said New Delhi and Ankara could also work together on other key global issues like environment and sustainable development.

Outlining six main issues on which the two countries could co-ordinate their positions, he said they could play an important role in maintaining regional peace and stability.

"We do not share physical borders, but we do have a vast common extended neighbourhood - in Central Asia, West Asia and the Gulf. It is of even greater significance that while our interests overlap in this area, nowhere do they clash," he said.

In this regard, he said Indian and Turkish companies were collaborating on the construction of an oil pipeline in Central Asia and in the prospecting for oil in North Africa.

PTI

Hitting out at developed countries, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on September 17 said the failure of the Cancun World Trade Organisation meeting showed that those who lectured developing nations on immediate sacrifices for long-term gains were not willing to follow their own prescriptions. developed countries, Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Cancun, WTO meeting, World Trade Organisation, lectured, developing nations, long-term gains, prescriptions, export, agriculture commodities, Ankara, Central Asia, West Asia, Gulf, Indian companies, construction, oil pipeline, North Africa,