A successful conclusion of the long- stalled Doha Round of global trade talks is possible in 2010, the United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk said on Monday.
"The United States is committed to achieving such an outcome, and I believe that success is possible in 2010," he told a plenary session of the seventh ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which kicked off today.
The three-day conference is designed to be a platform for all its 153 members to review its activities. Although WTO Director- General Pascal Lamy said it would not be a negotiating session on the Doha Round, the conference is still expected to be dominated by discussions of the deadlocked
negotiations, which was launched eight years ago in Qatar's capital.
As political leaders now aim to complete the round in 2010 after several previous deadlines had been missed, all eyes are now on the U.S. to
make an effort to break the deadlock.
Some developing countries accused Washington of dragging its feet on the Doha Round negotiations, saying U.S. President Barack Obama's
administration were over-occupied by domestic problems such as health care and the war in Afghanistan.
However, Kirk showed no intention of flexibility in the negotiations, pressing for more access to emerging markets.
"The creation of new trade flows and meaningful market opening, particularly in key emerging markets, is required to fulfill the development promise of Doha," he said.
"We have made our specific interests well known: that meaningful market opening is required to complete the Round. And we are looking for
concrete signs from other members that they are ready to join us in that commitment," he added.