E-drug: Bangkok Post: US - Thailand to start talks on free trade
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There is no mention of IP in this front-page article, but if other
regional and bilateral free trade agreements--such as the
US-Singapore and FTAA agreements--are any indication, Thailand
can expect TRIPS-plus proposals from the US, which would, among
other things, limit the grounds on which compulsory licenses can be
issued, extend patent terms beyond the 20-year minimum in TRIPS,
link patent status with drug regulatory authority approval, and impose
five years of data exclusivity on pharmaceutical test data, which
would have the effect of delaying generic competition--and
contributing to needless suffering and death--even in the absence of
patent barriers.
Rachel
Rachel M. Cohen
U.S. Director, Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines
Doctors Without Borders/M�decins Sans Fronti�res (MSF)
333 Seventh Avenue, 2nd Floor * New York, NY * 10001-5004 * USA
Tel: +1-212-655-3762
Mobile: +1-917-331-9077
Fax: +1-212-679-7016
E-mail: rachel.cohen@newyork.msf.org
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
http://www.accessmed-msf.org/
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Us, Thailand to Start Talks on Free Trade: Framework Likely Next
Week
Bangkok Post, AFP
The United States and Thailand will announce plans to begin
negotiating a free trade agreement ahead of next week's APEC
summit, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday.
Mr Thaksin, who will have talks with US President George W Bush on
Sunday, on the eve of the Oct 20-21 summit, said the meeting should
produce a framework for a trade agreement.
"Terrorism and free trade will be the two main issues on the agenda
that I will discuss with President Bush," he said. "This round of talks
will at least produce an announcement of the intention to begin free
trade negotiations but the negotiations must take time and we have to
consider negative repercussions on our side too."
A free trade agreement between the two countries had been
discussed informally but negotiations cannot begin until the sides
officially announce they plan to pursue a deal.
Mr Thaksin said that after the announcement, officials from both sides
will begin a detailed study of each sector of the economy to be
affected by the FTA.
Thailand has already signed two major FTAs this year - one with
China which went into effect this month and an agreement with India.
Other countries with which Thailand will have bilateral FTAs include
Bahrain, Australia, Japan and South Korea.
Individual trade agreements, such as the proposed US deal with
Thailand and an existing agreement with Singapore, are
mushrooming while multilateral talks under the WTO remain stalled
after the collapse of talks in Cancun, Mexico, last month.
However, there are concerns the maze of bilateral and regional FTAs
could further sideline the WTO process.
Breaking the Cancun deadlock between rich and poor nations, which
is centred on disagreement over agriculture, and putting the Doha
Round of free trade negotiations back on track will be a major goal of
the Bangkok talks.
Mr Thaksin has said he is confident developed nations will make
compromises at Apec but after the failure in Cancun he expressed
indifference, saying Thailand would continue to focus on bilateral
trade deals to sell its products.
"Multilateral cooperation is difficult because it is about negotiation," he
said at the time. "We can't wait, we must develop our own channels.
Thai people produce many products which we have to sell as soon as
we can."
But the US has not officially announced an FTA with Thailand. A
senior US official said details of Mr Bush's trip to Asia, including
issues he is likely to raise with the Thai leader would probably be
announced at the White House today.
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