Brazil's Lula calls for concessions in Doha Round

27 Jan '07

1 min read

At the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2007, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil called on the international business community to lobby leaders of rich countries to make concessions in the Doha Round of negotiations for a world trade agreement.

“If we want to give a signal to the poorest countries that they will have a chance in the 21st century, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany must make concessions,” he said. “The United States must reduce its agricultural subsidies, and Europe must ease access for agricultural products.”

Lula assured participants during a public presentation at the Annual Meeting that trade officials from the developing world would in turn show flexibility on issues of interest to the rich countries.

“Brazil will make concessions to the best of its ability, and I will try to convince the members of the G20 (the coalition of developing world countries led by Brazil, India and South Africa) to do the same. But we have to get the United States and the other rich countries to understand, or there will be no accord.”

World Economic Forum

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