Cablegate: Media Reaction: Global Economy: Doha Round

VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0407 2111630
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291630Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8419
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 9560
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 8797
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 3137

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000407

SIPDIS

STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD

DEPT PASS USTR

USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: GLOBAL ECONOMY: DOHA ROUND

The Play from Brazil
Editorial in liberal Folha de S. Paulo (7/29) says: "With a food
crisis at the door, it seems that the political desire to conclude
the Doha Round has emerged. An agreement, even if modest in
relation to its initial expectations, would avoid a major weakening
of the multilateral trade system. ...Brazil decided to move away
from its traditional partners and support the proposal, uniting
itself with the U.S., the European Union and Japan. This move
reopened the possibility of concluding the negotiations that have
already lasted seven years. The thing now is try to convince the
others. ... By momentarily keeping its distance from India, China
and Argentina, Itamaraty [Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry]
understood that the game of trade negotiations cannot be done based
on rigid surpassed geopolitical schemes."

Safeguards Put Doha in Risk Again
Editorial in business-oriented Valor Economico (7/29) comments:
"Brazil moved away from the G-20 for its own interest, because
safeguards are no good for the country. The union was possible
while the goal was to conduct a war against the subsidies of the
rich countries. It was known that this union would hide adverse
interests that would emerge in the final phase. Small advances were
achieved before a round that pretended to be focused on
"development". It is not certain that negotiations reach a
conclusion. Disfigured by the rich countries intransigency, there
are serious doubts whether it was worth waiting so long for so
little."
Story

© Scoop Media