Trade Minister calls for early Doha talks
Minister for Trade Simon Crean has called for early political engagement in 2010 to conclude the Doha Round, after last week’s discussions at the Seventh WTO Ministerial Conference.
“While the purpose of this WTO Ministerial meeting was not to hold detailed Doha negotiations, Ministers have committed to meet again early next year, to enable us to conclude the Round in 2010,” he reported. However, he said there needed to be more than a stock take of progress, urging “genuine engagement”.
“Concluding the Round is the best way to provide global economic stimulus and important additional insurance against trade protectionism,” he said.
One of the topics up for discussion was the global mobilisation of emerging economies. Crean emphasised the importance of aid-for-trade to assist developing nations particpate in the global economy.
“Trade liberalisation is not enough for developing countries in itself. Capacity building is an essential link for developing countries, a key aspect of the work that we do in market liberalisation,” he added.
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