5 Sep 2009

Minister not holding breath on Doha 'breakthrough'

5:03 pm on 5 September 2009

The Trade Minister is treating signs of a breakthrough in the Doha trade talks cautiously.

A meeting of World Trade Organisation trade ministers in New Delhi concluded on Saturday with a commitment to resume negotiations that have been stalled since last July and to finish the Doha round by the end of next year.

But Trade Minister Tim Groser, who attended the meeting, says there are still significant issues to be addressed before the trade talks can be successfully concluded.

WTO negotiators are due to meet again in the next few weeks to work on these issues before a meeting of G20 leaders later this month.

The Doha round began in 2001 with the aim of creating a free-trade deal that would boost global commerce and help developing countries.