G8 agrees to work on trade matters

L'AQUILA, Italy, July 9 (UPI) -- Group of Eight leaders meeting in Italy agreed Thursday to try to resolve outstanding world trade issues before the Group of 20 ministers meet in Pittsburgh.

A compromise would allow the G20 ministers to give World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamay a mandate to close the Doha, Qatar, Development Round of trade talks in 2010, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The Doha Development Round's objective is to lower global barriers to permit countries to increase trade. As of 2008, talks stalled over issues such as agriculture, industrial tariffs and non-tariff barriers, services and trade remedies.

The Group of 20 finance ministers are scheduled to meet in September in Pittsburgh.