Lamy says trade talks must hit top speed

Global trade talks must gather speed to grab the "window of opportunity" that closes by end of June, World Trade Organisation chief Pascal Lamy said yesterday.

Top trade representatives from the United States, the European Union, India and Brazil met in London and Geneva earlier this month in their first talks since negotiations resumed after a six-month suspension in July.

But Indian representatives said the United States must start giving some hard numbers in negotiations to push the global trade talks to meet the June 30 deadline.

Talks were halted after leading nations failed to agree on farm subsidies and tariffs.

"Time is not on our side and many WTO members are becoming impatient," Mr Lamy told a seminar in the Indian capital.

"We need to speed up the process so as to grasp the window of opportunity which closes by the end of June with the expiry of the US Trade Promotion Authority."

He said there was greater political backing from leading members to finalise the negotiations and wrap up the round, which is a test for WTO's credibility and its ability to deliver on its promise to developing nations. More than 100 protesters were detained as they demonstrated outside the hotel where Mr Lamy was attending a seminar on "Saving Doha", activists said.