MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

EU promises flexibility in trade talks

European Union Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy currently in Buenos Aires said the EU is willing to be flexible with the purpose of reactivating the deadlocked negotiations in the framework of the World Trade Organization, WTO.

Mr. Lamy is expected tomorrow in Brasilia for a meeting of the G-20 which is made up of developing countries who openly oppose US and EU agriculture production and export subsidies. Next Monday the EU official will be in Montevideo specially invited to the ministerial Mercosur Market Meeting.

"I believe G-20 has the purpose of "strengthening multilateral links" which were greatly damaged following the latest WTO meetings, particularly in Mexico last September, said Mr. Lamy.

"Since Mexico the EU has done much to better its stance: we've become more flexible and we're determined to have real negotiations", added Mr. Lamy.

During the Mexico meeting the US and EU insistence in resisting changes to their agriculture policies and the G-20 strong stand conditioning any advance to changes, finished scuttling the whole negotiation process.

"In Brasilia I'll try to see if G-20 can actually become a strong movement, sufficiently strong to push ahead with the multilateral aspect of negotiations".

While in Buenos Aires, Mr. Lamy met with Argentina's Trade Representative Martín Redrado who also promised "positive signals" for advancing the WTO Doha round.

The G-20 co chaired by Brazil and India is working on new strategies for the coming meeting of the WTO General Council that meets next week in Geneva.