The Doha Round of talks at the World Trade Organization (WTO) will end successfully by the end of July, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Wednesday, according to dpa. "We should have a conclusion by July 30, and Brazil is working with the idea of reaching an agreement," Lula said as he launched his government's Plan for Agriculture and Cattle Raising 2008-2009. According to Lula, the current stalling in negotiations at the Doha Round will be over when developed countries accept more flexibility in agricultural markets to broaden access for products from developing nations. "That is the fight," Lula said. If the United States and the European Union (EU) accept a reduction in subsidies and protectionist barriers in agriculture, Brazil will open its market further for foreign industrial products, Lula said. "We are willing to be more flexible, as long as that does not mean forcing the stagnation of a country that is only now starting to grow, because we do not want to block the development of our industry," he added. Lula stressed that the liberalization of the international trade in agricultural products to allow a greater participation from developing countries could alleviate the global scarcity of food.
