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WTO ministerial talks could be held by June: Nakagawa+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)TOKYO, April 25_(Kyodo) _ Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Tuesday it should be possible to hold ministerial talks in June in order to accelerate World Trade Organization efforts aimed at deciding rates of tariff reductions and other specific trade liberalization measures. The huge divide among WTO members that are bent on protecting their economic interests has left the current series of trade negotiations under the Doha round in a serious logjam. The WTO last week gave up a plan to hold a ministerial meeting by the end of the month to hammer out the outline of a new free trade pact with numerical goals, including tariff cut rates. Nakagawa voiced regret about the missed meeting, saying frank discussions at ministerial talks would have been productive. Nakagawa, who spoke at a press conference after the day's Cabinet meeting, also said he aims to tour Europe and South America from late April through early May in hopes of promoting progress at the WTO talks. |