By Seo Jee-yeon
Staff Reporter

A top official of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Thursday projected a pessimistic outlook for the future of the world trade talks, or Doha Development Agenda (DDA), if the December ministers’ meeting in Hong Kong fails to produce a substantial outcome in controversial issues.

``The Hong Kong meeting in December is key. We cannot pave the way without an agreement during the meeting. We won’t be able to complete talks in 2006. If we will miss the chance to complete talks in 2006, people will begin to doubt and lose interest in some key issues,’’ World Trade Organization (WTO) director-general Supachai Panitchpakdi said.

His comment came during a press meeting held at the International Convention Center on Cheju Island.

He is attending the meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) held on Cheju Island between June 1-3.

He stressed the concentration of efforts of WTO members, including APEC members, to produce a Hong Kong deal, worrying about the possible distraction of resources in proceeding bilateral trade talks, such as the free trade agreement (FTA).

`` I don’t have any outright objection over the FTA or the regional trade agreement (RTA). But there are some serious concerns about the proliferation of the FTA or RTA, particularly at the present when we are trying to forge ahead with the WTO talks,’’ he said.

``We have to take the DDA as a primacy. We have to use all of our resources to drive forward the WTO talks. The DDA will be able to produce more benefits than any FTA or RTA can.’’

In a special secession of the MRT on June 1, the WTO head also called for APEC’s contribution toward advancing the world trade negotiations.

The DDA stalled right after it were launched in 2001 and was revived in July 2004 by the agreement on a framework for working out sensitive agricultural trade issues.

Since then, negotiators have made some progress on agriculture and trade facilitation through customs reforms but little progress on other major issues, including agriculture, non-agriculture market access, services, rules and development.

The WTO will try to make a substantial breakthrough in such key areas as agriculture, services and development, in the December WTO ministers’ meeting in Hong Kong to finish the talks next year.

Skepticism about reaching an agreement in the December meeting, however, lingers. It would be difficult because the 148 WTO members must make decisions by consensus and developed and developing countries often have conflicting interests.

Only three or four WTO member countries submitted the improved services offer by the May 31 deadline.

jyseo@koreatimes.co.kr