WTO trade pact may take long: Brazil

Brazil, coordinator of the G-20 developing countries, today supported India's contention that the vexed Doha trade talks have not really reached the 'end game' as is being made out by the rich nations and also WTO chief Pascal Lamy.

Brazilian External Affairs Minister Celso Amorim, who is among the 35 trade ministers at the Delhi informal ministerial meeting said, "In the game of chess, sometimes the end game is much longer over the middle game. The fact that we are in the middle game does not mean it (Doha Round) will finish."

Amorim was clarifying his earlier statement that the Doha Round talks had reached end game.

Developed countries, he added, have to do much more than pay a mere 'lip service' for development dimension of the Round which has been in discussion for last seven years without any breakthrough.

India also reiterated today that 'we have a long way to travel before we can safely say we are in the end game'.

Chairing the meeting for the second day, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, wanted to know from the ministers, especially from the US and the EU, whether there was any clarity on conclusion of the trade talks by 2010.

"Do we clearly want the Doha Round of negotiations to conclude in 2010?, he asked.

Given India's interest in the opening of the global services trade, Sharma underlined the need for bringing on board the sector for talks along with agriculture and industrial goods.

Amorim, while supporting India's demand, said the Hong Kong ministerial meet had set a sequencing which meant that agreements on agriculture and non-agriculture market access be reached before any other area.

India has taken the initiative of hosting the meeting of the important trade ministers and kick-starting the WTO negotiations which were stalled in July last year on the issue of protection to farmers of developing countries.

WTO chief Lamy expressed hope that the Delhi meeting could be the beginning of the end game for conclusion of the Doha talks.

"I hope Delhi (meeting) can be the beginning of the end game of the Doha Round," he had said.

Image: Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma