Strasbourg, 15/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The announcement could cause a general outcry within the G6, which groups the key Doha Round players. The United States and Australia, in particular, which are accustomed to criticising the defensive attitude of their two partners when it comes to access to the agricultural market, might not be too happy about the decision by the Union and Japan - which leads the G10 agricultural importing countries (together with South Korea, Switzerland and Norway) - to coordinate their positions at the WTO. According to reports from the Nippon agency, Kyodo News Service, and confirmed by the Commission, the trade commissioner, Peter Mandelson, and the Japanese minister for agriculture, Toshikatsu Matsuoka, agreed during a phone conversation to make a greater effort to adopt joint proposals on the processing of sensitive products and cuts in customs tariffs for imported agricultural products. In answer to questions put to him by EUROPE, the spokesman for Mr Mandelson, Peter Power, said: “We want to work closely with all our partners and reach maximum cooperation to resolve the remaining problems”. That same day during a visit to China, US Deputy Trade Representative Peter Allgeier gave his assurance that the United States was ready to significantly reduce farm subsidies and customs duties on farm products on condition that other countries with higher customs tariffs and that also give subsidies, like the European Union, do the same. (eh)