Global trade conference ends without progress

Buenos Aires Dec 14 (IANS) The 11th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has concluded here with a "disappointing" lack of results Director-General Roberto Azevedo said.

In his speech on Wednesday during the closing session of the biennial meeting Azevedo regretted the failure of the WTO s 164 member-nations to reach "substantive agreements" Efe news reported.

"Progress was going to require a leap in members positions. We didn t see that. We need to do some real soul-searching " he told the senior officials gathered in Buenos Aires.

"There was commitment and effort to find genuine solutions but insufficient results " the conference chair Argentina former Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra said.

At the same time she pointed to the achievement of accord on a framework to discuss fishing subsidies.

"Buenos Aires will be remembered as the conference where the fishing negotiations were launched " she said.

Missing from Wednesday s final session was the voice of the world s largest economy as United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer left town the night before.

--IANS
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