
WELLINGTON, New Zealand, April 22 (UPI) -- The World Trade Organization announced the appointment of New Zealand Ambassador David Walker as chairman of the pivotal negotiations on agriculture.
Walker replaces fellow New Zealander Crawford Falconer, who will be returning to Wellington to become a deputy secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the WTO said in a written statement Wednesday.
Walker will step into the lead role in talks that are politically contentious and at the same time key to the Doha Round of talks that have been aimed at reaching a comprehensive global trade agreement since 2001, the statement said.
Trade in farm products is a high priority for developing nations seeking greater access to markets in industrialized nations, although dropping trade barriers completely could also overwhelm their own farmers with cheap imports from higher-capacity foreign producers, the WTO said.
Walker's resume includes active roles in past trade negotiations, including the GATT agreement and Uruguay Round.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Additional Top News Stories | |
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
A woman who says she had an affair with President John F. Kennedy wrote that she didn't feel at the time she was "invading the Kennedys' marriage."
|
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
Pop icon Madonna says she "wasn't happy" after rapper M.I.A. flipped her middle finger at a camera during their Super Bowl halftime show.
|
WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the construction of two new nuclear reactors, the first to be built in the United States since 1978.
|
BIRMINGHAM, England, Feb. 10 (UPI) --
A British company said it is opening salons across England dedicated to the tattooing the scalps of bald men to make it look like they have short hair.
|
| Stories | Photos | People | Comments |
View Caption