Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The World Trade Organization (WTO) cannot interfere in Australia`s decision to halt its cattle exports to Indonesia, a WTO official said.

"The WTO cannot influence the decision of a country to restrict its exports. If Indonesia and Australia have a problem, they should discuss it bilaterally," WTO Director General Pascal Lamy said here on Tuesday.

He said WTO could not meddle in the suspension of Australian livestock exports to Indonesia, a move made on the grounds that Indonesia had violated animal welfare principles.

WTO would help settle a problem only if one of the parties felt it was disadvantaged and had applied to the WTO Dispute Settlement Body for help to settle the problem.

"If one party feels its interest has been harmed by unfair treatment, it can use the WTO dispute settlement system," the WTO director general said.

Australia last week decided to suspend its exports of live cattle and young cows for six months to Indonesia following reports that Australian cattle were tortured at Indonesian abattoirs before they were slaughtered.

Footage aired on ABC1`s Four Corners recently showed the animals were kicked, thrashed and beaten, their throats were hacked at, eyes gouged and tails broken. Yet some quarters in Indonesia considered the allegation a trick to boost Australian meat exports to Indonesia.(*)

Wed, June 15 2011 21:50

Editor: Heru

Source: antaranews.com

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