WASHINGTON, Nov 17: The United States on Tuesday said it would continue to provide strong leadership in the Doha global trade negotiations, where it "first launched the negotiating mandate and then forged the framework to reform global farm trade and guide the future negotiations."

Richard Mills, assistant US Trade Representative for Public and Media Affairs, office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) stated this at a press briefing.

Speaking at a discussion on US Trade Policy, at the Foreign Press Centre, he expressed the hope that the US efforts on agriculture globally "offer an opportunity" to advance with our co-chair partners, Brazil, the ongoing free trade agreement negotiations.

"And we also expect to move ahead with negotiations for Russia, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia for their accession to the WTO." Mr Mills said President Bush presented to the American people a record of achievement, strong convictions and a direction for the future.

He said, "Trade has been an important part of his agenda and record and his conviction to advance that strategy in a second term." The United States, he added, "will continue to work" to level the playing field for American workers: farmers, ranchers, businesses and consumers, and open foreign markets to our world class goods and services.

"We will continue to work to solve problems that block US exports, including by aggressively defending US interests in the WTO and in other dispute arenas so as to make sure that Americans are treated fairly."

"We've worked closely with Congress to build support for our agenda. We've achieved great successes on trade this year, getting big, bipartisan majorities for our FTAs (free trade agreements) with Australia and Morocco, and for expanding benefits for Africa."

"This full agenda continues with agreements such as CAFTA and Bahrain, which must go before Congress, as well as with our ongoing negotiations with Panama, Thailand, the Southern African Customs Union, and the Andean countries of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru."

Mr Mills said the United States would "continue to customize" its work in the Middle East "country by country" to open markets and achieve the US President's vision of a Middle East free trade area by 2013. -APP