MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil ready to facilitate conclusion of world trade talks

Brazil's Foreign Affairs minister Celso Amorim.

The conclusion of the prolonged World Trade Organization Doha round talks could be delayed for another two to three years if world leaders don't reach a significant advance this year, warned Brazil's Foreign Affairs minister Celso Amorim.

"If we can reach an agreement on the conditions for trade this year, the following United States government, whoever it is, will already find something accomplished with the input of other countries and that would be far more difficult to change", said Amorim during a chat with journalists at the United Nations headquarters in New York. But "if we take more time, the round could absorb anywhere from two to three additional years and in the meantime cotton farmers will suffer in Africa, when not die" because African farmers will have to continue competing with US subsidies and India won't have the protection mechanism which it wants to create added Amorim. The most recent attempt to refloat the Doha round failed last July when United States and India could not agree on conditions for a safeguard mechanism to allow developing countries to increase import tariffs when they feel their markets are being flooded. Brazil is ready to facilitate the agreement between India and the US said Amorim, "as long as all sides are willing to negotiate". Amorim revealed that during the UN gathering in New York he had met with other members of the so called BRIC group, Brazil, Russia, India and China. The disagreement on the safeguard mechanism for agriculture produce continues to be the main obstacle for a successful conclusion of the Doha Round, said diplomats from other countries.