Pointing the finger once again at the European Union, Nath said the outcome of the negotiations in Hong Kong "cannot be the perpetuation of the inequalities of the global trading system ... principally, agriculture."

If the Doha Round of negotiations does not provide for the elimination of farm trade subsidies, then "we must see a roadmap towards their elimination," he told reporters.

Nath stressed that agriculture was the key issue for the developing world and should not be simply linked to demands that poorer countries open their markets to free trade in industrial goods and services in return for a deal on ending farm subsidies.

"The EU is saying 'we will stop doing what we should not be doing (in the first place)' ... There should not be a price to be paid (by the developing countries) for that," he said.

"They are distorting agriculture and they should remedy that," he added, echoing a steady stream of criticism of the EU's stand on farm trade.