Trade ministers to strive for Doha deal this year

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters


DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Key trade ministers agreed on Saturday to step up efforts to reach a new global trade deal and guard against protectionism to help pull the world out of economic crisis.

With the world economy in its worst state since World War Two, ministers met on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos and agreed keeping trade open was a central element in any solution to the crisis.

"It is very clear that we have to be better at communicating the message to all the people across the world that in order to come out of the economic downturn we need to keep trade open," European Union Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton said.

Ministers from 17 economies plus the 27-member EU said completing the World Trade Organization's long-running Doha round to open up global trade was their top priority, and progress in 2008 meant remaining gaps could be closed this year.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE50U0VN20090131

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I hope they do! Because they will get the world's biggest riot right outside their meeting! Go ahead. I DARE you!