Brussels, 20/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - Given the breakdown in multilateral negotiations under the Doha Round, Germany, like France, is in favour of the conclusion of bilateral free-trade agreements, the German Minister for the Economy, Michael Glos, announced on Tuesday. In a press release, Mr Glos spoke out in favour of bilateral agreements with Asian countries. On Monday, the German Finance Minister Peter Steinbrück met Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson in Berlin. In recent weeks, the Commissioner has been stepping up calls to launch negotiations with India, South Korea and the countries of ASEAN whilst no multilateral agreement is in sight. On Monday, however, Mr Mandelson and Mr Glos reiterated the fact that a multilateral agreement at the WTO remained "the top priority for the Union". "Negotiations under the Doha Round will be a major priority of the German Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2007", Mr Glos emphasised in a press release, adding: "bilateral agreements can be useful building blocks in a multilateral edifice". On Tuesday, the French Minister for Trade, Christine Lagarde, also stressed the importance of bilateral agreements as forthcoming elections in several countries of the WTO (the United States and Brazil in particular) make it unlikely that negotiations will be taken up again fruitfully and in the near future.