LONDON, March 9 (UPI) -- The leaders of Britain and Brazil called Thursday for a special summit of world leaders to try and overcome the impasse on global trade talks.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the current Doha round of World Trade Organization talks had to be bold and ambitious, for the sake of both developed countries and poor nations.
Speaking alongside Lula at a Downing Street press conference, Blair said this was a "huge moment of decision for the world." Breaking down barriers to international trade would lead to "greater prosperity, more jobs and greater social justice," he added.
He said he wanted a special summit of key leaders to persuade them to go beyond their established positions.
In a joint statement, they said: "The cost of inaction is stark, not just for the poor and global growth but also for multilateral system and our vision of a more open democratic world."
Blair added: "The reason it is such an acute problem is because if we do not succeed this year, then the U.S. presidential mandate runs out in 2007 and it is therefore going to be far more difficult at that point to get agreement."
The leaders pledged to work with members of the European Union and G20 to try and push the talks forward.
Blair also expressed his "strong support" for Brazil to join the United Nations Security Council as a permanent member.
