Brussels, 01/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - Meeting on Saturday 30 January on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland) in order to prepare a possible ministerial stock-taking meeting in Geneva at the end of March with a view to concluding the Doha Round in 2010, the trade ministers of 17 WTO member countries, including those of Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, South Africa and the EU, represented by Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, repeated their commitment to oppose protectionism and conclude the talks that were opened in 2001 - despite the deadlock that has gripped the WTO multilateral negotiations since July 2008 and to break which Brazil on Saturday proposed holding a world summit. Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim put this option on the table, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy told press. “No one said no, but we all said that if it were to happen, what remains to be settled - a list of 12 or 13 reasonable technical issues - would have to be simplified,” he added. Swiss President Doris Leuthard, who chaired the meeting, said she thought that the outstanding issues should be reduced to five or six points before the leaders of the key countries begin final talks.
While not rejecting the proposal from their Brazilian colleague, the ministers in Davos could not hide their pessimism on the chances of concluding the Round in 2010, as the world's main economic powers pledged to do last year at the G20 and G8+5 (G8 plus the five large emerging nations) meetings. The United States' real commitment (its Trade Representative Ron Kirk did not travel to Switzerland) and that of China, which only sent its Deputy Trade Minister, have once again been questioned. “We would like to see the (Doha) Round completed as soon as possible, but, for that, everybody will have to be there,” said Ferrero-Waldner, who is soon to be succeeded by Belgian Karel De Gucht. “We cannot expect more than that because, of course, one of the main partners is not represented at ministerial level. We have come to a point when it is the question of political will,” said Amorim. “All the indications are that it's an incredibly controversial matter in the US Congress and I don't think they have yet defined a sustainable approach to conclude the Round,” opined South African minister Rob Davies. Bogged down with the reform of the health sector at home and busy trying to get the country out of the financial crisis, the American administration must also deal with partial elections to Congress this year. This is a considerable political obstacle to the conclusion of the Round in 2010, all the more so because of the Presidential election due to take place in Brazil. (E.H./transl.rt)