Key WTO Member Nations Set Year-End Deadline To Reach Deal On New Global Trade Treaty
Top trade representatives from six key member-nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Thursday proposed a new year-end deadline to complete negotiations on a treaty to liberalize global commerce, a joint statement said.
The proposal for a new deadline came after negotiators from the US, EU, Brazil and India held formal talks for the first time since they suspended the Doha round last July. Ministers from Australia and Japan also attended the meetings in New Delhi.
Aid groups and analysts welcomed the new deadline, but warned that it should not come at the cost of an agreement that is fair to all parties. Negotiators said they would not compromise on the objective of the Doha round, meant to ensure that poor countries benefit as much as rich nations from trade liberalization.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
