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SYDNEY - US President George W. Bush said today he was ready to show flexibility to revive the moribund Doha round of world trade talks, but warned that intransigence by just a handful of countries could bring negotiations to a standstill.
"The United States has both the will and the flexibility to help conclude a successful Doha Round, and we urge our Apec partners to join us in this vital effort," Bush said in prepared remarks to a business forum on the eve of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
"No single country can make Doha a success, but it is possible for a handful of countries that are unwilling to make the necessary contributions to bring Doha to a halt," he said.
Bush, who has been accused by some critics of not devoting enough attention to the Asia-Pacific region, said his commitment to that part of the world was "unshakable".
Bush has made jump-starting the moribund Doha talks a top priority for his agenda at the Apec leaders meeting.
The global trade talks which started in 2001 in the city of Doha have been bogged down by deep divisions over farm subsidies, tariffs and a host of other issues.
Negotiations hit a serious setback at a June meeting in Germany. As the session in Germany fell apart, US officials pointed the finger at India and Brazil for what they saw as impossible requests for reductions of US farm subsidies and a failure to provide substantial lowering of industrial tariffs.
- REUTERS
