Brussels, 29/02/2008 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting in Lesotho on Friday 29 February with the trade ministers of the least developed countries (LDC), Peter Mandelson warned of the “high risk of failure” in the Doha talks “unless negotiators can restore balance to the different strands of the negotiation” to conclude an agreement before the change of administration in the United States. The European trade commissioner highlighted the fact that stalled talks would above all have an adverse effect on LDC, which would lose the concessions already on the table, especially the development package negotiated in Hong Kong in 2005 (EUROPE 9093), which guaranteed duty free/quota free market access to the developed and emerging countries for 97% of their exports. “While global agricultural prices and economic uncertainty are high, the collapse would signal that the international community is simply not capable of pulling together when it comes to global economic governance - which is the worst possible signal to be sending as we search out global solutions on climate change”, Mr Mandelson added, reasserting his support for the development package and for reform of the international trade in cotton. (E.H.)