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Brazilian president wants trade talks progress at G8 summit
AFP
LONDON
Petroleumworld.com 07 12 06
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will push for progress on the ailing Doha round of world trade talks at this weekend's G8 summit, he told Wednesday's Financial Times newspaper.
Trade is not on the formal agenda at the Group of Eight industrial powers' gathering in Saint Petersburg, but Lula insisted the issue was unavoidable, in an interview with the British business daily.
"It is not possible that the presidents of the most important countries in the world can meet and the most important subject in the world not be discussed," he told the FT.
Brazil has long championed the idea of a world summit to pull the talks on lifting barriers to trade in agriculture, industrial goods and services out of a rut that has hampered real progress for nearly five years.
The leaders of China, India and Brazil will attend a special meeting on Monday with leaders of the G8 countries -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, hosts Russia and the United States.
But Lula said a seperate meeting could take place without Russia, which is not yet part of the World Trade Organisation.
"We have to do it, even if it's only for a two-hour meeting," said Lula.
"Our representatives are snookered... so the leaders have to say whether they want (progress) or not."
The Brazilian president praised US President George W. Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, for what he described as their sympathetic stance towards an agreement under the Doha round of trade talks.
But he had stronger words for French President Jacques Chirac, who had a "much tougher position defending his French farmers, and his position counts for a lot in Europe."
Lula stressed the need for the European Union to reduce barriers to agricultural imports and for the United States to slash farm subsidies.
He also welcomed Venezuela's entry into the Mercosur trade pact of South America and talked down fears on the continent about the growing influence of the anti-US Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Lula said he and Argentinian President Nestor Kirchner had pressed the radical Chavez to "take the tension" out of international relations.
"I talk a lot with President Chavez about the need to behave in a way that doesn't create problems for other countries," he told the FT.
Lula reckoned the United States and Venezuela needed each other.
"One day I spoke to Bush and Chavez. I said this fight between you is very interesting," he said.
"Venezuela could stop selling oil and create a delicate situation for the US. Bush could stop buying and do the same. But you both keep buying and selling."
AFP 12 0251 GMT 07 06
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