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Brazil to host G-20 meeting aimed at reviving WTO negotiations
[August 05, 2006]

Brazil to host G-20 meeting aimed at reviving WTO negotiations


(EFE Ingles Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Rio de Janeiro, Aug 5 (EFE).- Brazil confirmed that on September 9-10 it will host a high level meeting of the G-20 developing nations to discuss the World Trade Organization's Doha round and "alternatives that favor negotiations."



"Other developing countries are also being invited to take part, particularly those that are currently coordinating regional or special interest groups in the WTO," a Foreign Ministry communique said Friday.

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy was also invited "and he said that he plans to attend the event," the statement said.


The G-20, at present made up of 20 developing countries with a particular interest in agriculture, was founded in 2003 under the leadership of Brazil, India and South Africa.

The group of big exporters of raw material and basic products demanded that the United States and the countries of the European Union sharply reduce the farm subsidies and tariffs on farm imports with which they protect their farmers and producers.

According to Brazil's Foreign Ministry, the suspension of negotiations on agriculture is especially damaging to developing nations.

"The sector in which these countries are in general competitive continue suffering serious distortions and imbalances that negatively affect international trade," the communique said.

The G-20 will continue seeking common ground and doing what they can to restart the work and negotiations of the Doha round as soon as possible," the Foreign Ministry said.

The Doha round, which began in 2001 with the objective of extending free trade and benefiting the least developed nations, called off its deliberations last July 24 in Geneva when no agreement could be reached on the opening of agricultural and industrial markets.

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab held a meeting here last Saturday after the Geneva talks broke down.

Both said it was still possible to save the Doha round, although Schwab said that an accord must be reached in the coming months because after July 1, 2007, the U.S. Congress will regain the right to amend trade agreements and it will be much harder to gain legislative approval. EFE

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