Negotiators from six trading powers including the US, the EU, India and Brazil in a breakthrough move on Thursday pledged to intensify efforts for concluding the much-delayed international trade talks by the end of this year, according to dpa. The Doha Round under the aegis of the World Trade Organization has been stalled due to a lack of consensus among members, largely on farm subsidies and market access. "We believe that by intensifying our work, we can reach convergence and contribute to concluding the round by the end of 2007," stated a communique issued at the conclusion of the G-6 trade ministers meeting in New Delhi. The communique mentioned that the G-6 members, which represent the interests of both the developing and the developing world, would work to achieving consensus amongst the WTO members. "We are therefore, prepared to intensify our engagement in parallel to the multilateral negotiating group process in Geneva," the statement mentioned. India's Commerce Minister Kamal Nath, US Trade Representative Susan Schwab, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim led their delegations in the two-day talks. Australian Trade Minister Warren Truss and Japan's Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka also joined the talks later on Thursday evening. Addressing a joint press conference following the talks, Nath said that the ministers committed to preparing a road map over the next few months towards the year-end deadline for the trade treaty. "A clear agreement was forged on concluding the round by the end of the year. Its sequence and timing have been decided, that's why we need to speed up work," Mandelson told reporters. In response to a question that the rigid stance of the US had held up the Doha round, Schwab replied "No one country can provide a breakthrough," adding that the end of 2007 deadline was achievable if the sense of urgency amongst the members translated into action. She said US President George W Bush's trade promotion authority, which is due to end in June, was likely to be renewed as the US administration is engaged in getting the support of Congress. The Doha Round of talks aimed at reducing trade barriers was launched in the Qatar capital in 2001. The talks broke down in July 2006 over differences among key member countries on reduction of farm subsidies in industrialized nations and liberalizing service markets in developing countries. The talks were re-launched in January, but major sticking points remained unresolved, specifically the refusal of the US to reduce its agricultural subsidies to farmers. The demand for cuts is supported by the EU and the G-20 group of countries that includes India and Brazil. India and Brazil also rejected pressure for stronger cuts in their high industrial tariffs and want the advanced countries to adopt the development content of the Doha round.
