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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Jacob Snyder who wrote (114789)	9/14/2003 4:57:54 PM
From: Sam Citron	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

World Trade Talks End in Failure, Delegates Say By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANCUN, Mexico -- Talks designed to change the face of farming around the world collapsed Sunday amid differences between rich and poor nations, delegates said. "It's over," said George Odour Ong'wen, a Kenyan delegate. "The chairman is calling the delegates to announce that the talks have collapsed. Other delegations confirmed that the talks had ended in failure. It was the second major defeat for the body that makes rules for international trade. In 1999, similar talks collapsed in Seattle amid street riots and difference between members. "The differences were very wide, and it was impossible to close the gap," Oduor said. Rich and poor nations spent all day in talks about whether to launch negotiations on the controversial issues of foreign investment and competition. The problem issues were whether to launch negotiations on four topics -- referred to as the "Singapore issues" -- that the European Union and Japan are pushing. They give more market access to multinational companies; regulate competition; improve transparency in government contracts and simplify procedures for cross-border transportation. Many developing countries, led by Malaysia and India, strongly oppose even talking about those issues, which were so contentious at the last WTO meeting in Qatar that ministers -- rather than see their entire agreement scuttled -- agreed to put off discussion until Cancun. After hours of talks, EU negotiators agreed to remove at least two of the issues: multinationals' access and competition regulation, according to Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. Amorim said one of the other two issues might have made it into a final text, but that even one was considered too much by some developing nations. With the Singapore issues under negotiation, little progress was made on the main theme of the meeting: to slash the subsidies rich nations pay their farmers and lower the tariffs many countries charge for importing farm goods. Doing so could dramatically alter farming around the world. Some farmers could find new markets for their crops. Others could struggle to compete without the subsidies that keep them in business. Consumers could get cheaper fruits, vegetables and meat from distant shores. Delegates had said once they had an agreement on the Singapore issues, discussions would resume on agriculture. The five-day meeting was supposed to finish Sunday, but some delegates had predicted that negotiations would run over until Monday, as did the last WTO ministerial meeting in Qatar. Failure to come to an agreement was a major blow to the WTO, and to efforts to regulate the world's trade. In 1999, talks in Seattle collapsed amid violent street protests and divisions between rich and poor nations. "We should not go home empty-handed," Taiwan Economics Minister Lin Yi-fu said. nytimes.com

To: Jacob Snyder who wrote (114789)	9/15/2003 1:07:21 AM
From: greenspirit	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

Interesting that you elected to leave this little tidbit from the poll out. washingtonpost.com The president's overall job approval rating remains stable and relatively strong, a reflection of broad confidence in his leadership despite increasing concerns about his policies. Fifty-eight percent approve of the job he is doing as president, while 40 percent disapprove. Bush's approval ratings on the war against terrorism and homeland security also remain strong.