BUSAN, South Korea, Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific nations meeting in South Korea urged the European Union to cut farm subsidies and tariffs or risk killing global trade talks.
South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, including President Bush, were "basically saying that now the ball is in Europe's court," CNN reported.
Specifically, APEC delegates Friday criticized the EU for refusing to improve its offer of tariff cuts of 38 percent on average on agricultural goods, and for the number of products it wants exempted from the cuts.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard was more direct in finger the EU for threatening the outcome of the current Doha round of World Trade Organization global trade talks.
"We are not going to get anywhere unless there is a significant matching of what the Americans have put on the table by the Europeans," Howard said.
