G-6 targets Doha Round conclusion by year-end

Trade ministers of the Group of Six (G-6) countries today resolved to conclude the six-year-old Doha Round of trade talks by the end of the year.

"We believe that by intensifying our work, we can reach convergence and thus contribute to concluding the round by the end of 2007," a communique by the G-6 trade ministers said.

It said the G-6 members, which represent the interests of the developing and developed countries, would work for consensus among other WTO members.

The new deadline came after talks were stalled over the refusal of the developed countries to cut farm sops and the developing countries' reluctance to further open up markets.

Brazilian Foreign and Trade Minister Celso Amorim said it was a breakthrough. "It is possible to finish the round (within the new deadline). If we do not finish by then, a lot will be at risk."

The ministers of the six countries "" India, the United States, the European Union, Brazil, Australia and Japan "" also decided to intensify negotiations among themselves, parallel with the multilateral groups in Geneva. "We will work with the director-general of the WTO, the chairs of the negotiating groups, the chair of the general council and the entire WTO membership in the best interests of completing the round in the time envisaged," said the G-6 communique.

The G-4 and G-6 meetings were held for the first time since the round was suspended last July. "We took stock of various developments. The objective was not to make a dramatic breakthrough. We have assessed the areas where we have made progress and discussed how to reduce the differences. We have prepared a roadmap for the next few months. An obvious pre-requisite for success is that we all remain firmly wedded to the mandate," said Commerce Minister Kamal Nath.

"If we can translate the shared sense of urgency, it is a realiseable goal," said Susan Schwab, the US Trade Representative. She played down the sense of an immediate breakthrough. This was echoed by Nath, who said the objective of today's talks was not to "attempt dramatic breakthroughs".