TOP TRADE NEGOTIATORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD HEADED FOR AN EMERGENCY MEETING ON MONDAY IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESCUE GLOBAL TRADE TALKS AFTER POLITICAL LEADERS SIGNALLED THEY COULD BE MORE FLEXIBLE, REUTERS REPORTED. WTO CHIEF PASCAL LAMY WARNED THE TALKS, WHICH HAVE DRAGGED ON FOR NEARLY FIVE YEARS, WERE DOOMED TO FAILURE UNLESS COUNTRIES GAVE THEIR NEGOTIATORS ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE. MINISTERS FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE UNITED STATES, BRAZIL, JAPAN, INDIA AND AUSTRALIA WERE DUE TO GATHER AT THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION'S GENEVA HEADQUARTERS TO THRASH OUT WAYS TO BREAK THE DEADLOCK IN THE SO-CALLED DOHA ROUND OF TALKS. LAMY WAS RETURNING FROM A G8 SUMMIT IN RUSSIA TO LEAD THE TALKS, WITH POLITICAL BACKING FROM THE HEADS OF THE WORLD'S LEADING INDUSTRIALISED NATIONS TO PUSH HARD TO CRAFT A DEAL ON MEASURES TO HELP LIFT MILLIONS FROM POVERTY. "AT THIS STAGE, THE DEADLOCK IN WHICH WE ARE CAUGHT WILL LEAD US TO FAILURE VERY SOON IF YOU DO NOT GIVE YOUR MINISTERS FURTHER ROOM FOR NEGOTIATION," LAMY TOLD LEADERS OF G8 AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, ACCORDING TO A WTO STATEMENT. "I AM NOW MORE CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN GET AGREEMENT ON DOHA THAN BEFORE THE SUMMIT," EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT JOSE MANUEL BARROSO SAID, ECHOING EARLIER COMMENTS BY BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR AND GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL. U.S. PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH AND BRAZILIAN PRESIDENT LUIZ INACIO LULA DA SILVA, ALONG WITH THE EU, SHOWED THEY COULD TAKE STEPS TO GET THE ROUND MOVING AGAIN, BARROSO TOLD REPORTERS AS HE FLEW BACK TO BRUSSELS. BLAIR SAID G8 LEADERS SPOKE "VERY STRONGLY" ABOUT NEGOTIATORS GETTING THE FLEXIBILITY THEY NEEDED TO CLOSE THE ROUND, WHICH WAS LAUNCHED IN NOVEMBER 2001 TO BOOST THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AND EASE POVERTY.
