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WTO members split whether trade deal can be struck this year
Davos, Jan 24: Some 19 World Trade Organisation members, including India, made positive noises about reviving global trade talks, but appeared divided over whether they could broker a deal by a year-end deadline.
WTO Director General Supachai Panitchpakdi said there
was "more than enough time" to complete the round in time,
but Joseph Deiss, the President of Switzerland which
organised the meeting, argued that such a target was
impossible as there was too much work to do.
Adding urgency to the need to re-engage, UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan earlier appealed for an end to farm
Subsidies, a major stumbling block in the current round of
WTO negotiations.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in this Swiss
ski resort, Annan said such payouts by rich countries were
badly hurting poor nations.
"It was a useful exchange of ideas," said the WTO's
top negotiator, Carlos Perez Del Castillo, after a half-day
of talks between ministers and diplomats from countries
including India, Brazil and Canada.
"Once again we had the reaffirmation of commitments
by everyone with regards to getting this round back on
track," he told reporters.
Bureau Report