The Dominican Republic, which presides the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of nations, requested before the World Trade Organization Ministerial meeting in Seattle the elimination of subsidies to agriculture by developed countries, and special and differential treatment for the developing economies. ACP nations are seeking a waiver so that the European Union can maintain the commercial preferences granted to the 71 member states of the block under the Lome IV Convention that ends in February 2000. The DR wants the WTO to apply to agriculture the same rules that govern other goods. Head of the Dominican delegation to the Seattle Ministerial Conference, Luis Manuel Bonetti requested that the WTO insure there be coherence between national policies and multilateral commitments assumed by all countries. For more information on developing countries point of view, as seen by the WTO, see http://heva.wto-ministerial.org/english/about_e/05impl_e.htm For more on the Dominican delegation, see www.dr1.com/daily/news112999.shtml
