July 22, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Sani 25, 1427

WASHINGTON, July 21: US trade chief Susan Schwab appealed on Friday for more flexibility from trading partners ahead of crunch WTO talks this weekend in Geneva.

“We have arrived at a crucial point in these negotiations where we learn whether there is sufficient market access on the table to call it a trade round,” the US trade representative said in a statement.

“The United States is ready to show flexibility, but we cannot negotiate with ourselves,” she said.

“All nations must show flexibility, commitment and political courage in the coming weeks if the Doha Round is to conclude with an ambitious and balanced agreement of benefit to people all over the world.”

The talks at WTO headquarters on Sunday and Monday are the latest attempt by the major players to get the floundering Doha Round back on track to tearing down barriers to commerce, notably in agriculture and industrial goods.

Last Sunday, leaders of the powerful Group of Eight nations set a mid-August deadline for WTO negotiators to thrash out the broad outlines of a deal to help finish almost five years of negotiations.—AFP