Rich and developing states gave a cool reception yesterday to a plan for kick-starting stalled world trade talks but stopped short of rejecting it.
The plan, drawn up by Uruguayan Ambassador Mr Carlos Perez del Castillo, with the backing of World Trade Organization (WTO) chief Mr Supachai Panitchpakdi, seeks to bridge wide gaps, not just between developed and developing states but also within the two camps.
There is disagreement on issues ranging from farm reform to industrial tariffs and services.
Calling the plan "flawed," several trade envoys said it could serve as a basis for further talks at a crucial ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico, next month, providing the proposal was modified.
"It is flawed, but not fundamentally flawed," said European Union chief negotiator Mr Peter Carl. "It is unbalanced." A spokesman for the US Trade Representative's office in Washington said Mr del Castillo's draft hit the mark in some areas, but missed it in others.
"We will continue to work with the chairman as he develops a package for ministerial consideration," USTR spokesman Mr Richard Mills said.
Agricultural reform is central to WTO negotiations on lowering barriers to trade across the globe, but disagreements still run deep just two weeks before the September 10th-14th gathering that could decide the fate of the Doha Round of free trade talks.
Mr Perez del Castillo, who put forward his blueprint after two weeks of talks in Geneva, warned there was little time for further revisions before the Mexican summit. "This text goes as far as I judge is possible in the Geneva process," he said, referring to the latest round of talks in the Swiss city.