Thursday, September 8 2005 10:35 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Commerce Ministers of India and other G-20 countries will hold a two-day meeting beginning here Friday to formulate recommendations for promotion of trade and safeguarding the interests of member countries.

Commerce Minister Kamal Nath is scheduled to arrive here today (Sept 8, 2005) to attend the meeting to be held in the holiday resort Bhurban.

The meeting will also discuss WTO related issues and formulate the agenda for the 6th Ministerial Meeting of the trade bloc to be held in Hong Kong in December.

The Conference will be formally inaugurated on Friday at Bhurban and it will deliberate issues concerning WTO and its implications.

The G-20 countries comprise members of twenty-one developing countries. It came into existence in 2003 and has regularly been holding ministerial level meetings the world over.

This will be the first Ministerial Meeting after draft ministerial declaration was issued by WTO in July last setting the agenda for the 6th Ministerial Meeting of the WTO to be held in Hong Kong in December.

The G-20 comprises Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.