October 20, 2007	Saturday	Shawwal 7, 1428

GENEVA, Oct 19: The chief negotiator guiding key WTO talks on reducing barriers to global agricultural trade, Crawford Falconer, on Friday gave the 151 member states two weeks to narrow their differences.

Falconer told a meeting at the WTO that a negotiating drive launched last month had not bridged the gap enough in “a number of areas” after six years of troubled talks in the Doha Round, trade sources said.

“I am looking for progress to be made,” Falconer was quoted as saying, giving member states until November 2.

The head of the WTO’s agriculture committee, who is also New Zealand’s ambassador at the WTO, told his fellow negotiators that if he gave them seven weeks, “you will take 23.” The prospect of imminent death focuses your mind wonderfully,” he added.

Falconer warned that if the trading nations failed to move closer on the crucial issue of cutting farm subsidies and import tariffs, he would be obliged to draw up a new draft proposal of his own that was likely to be rejected.—AFP