Minister Paula Lehtomäki met US Chief Trade Negotiator Robert Zoellick

Press release 7/2004
13 January, 2004


Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paula Lehtomäki met last night Finnish time US Chief Trade Negotiator Robert Zoellick in Washington. The meeting, focusing on the WTO and the EU-US trade relations, was part of Minister Lehtomäki’s travel itinerary in North America.

On Monday Zoellick sent letters to the member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in which he urged them to continue the negotiations broken off in September. Zoellick’s letters include a listing of the issues that are vital for the progress of the negotiation round.

Minister Lehtomäki welcomes the fact that the United States now clearly demonstrates its commitment to the multilateral trading system. “I am very pleased to know that Mr Zoellick has proposed the re-launch of the WTO talks already this year. A general concern has been that the election year in the United States might make this an intermediary year with regard to the WTO”, said Lehtomäki . She also commended the increased US emphasis on the special interests of the developing countries.

Agriculture and market access are key factors in the WTO talks. In Zoellick’s letter, addressed to the trade ministers, all relevant elements concerning agriculture are included, i.e. export subsidies, domestic subsidies and market access.

The date of the abolition of export subsidies is the most important single proposal in Zoellick’s letter and it was also discussed in the meeting with Lehtomäki. It is a realistic notion to expect the EU to find extra leverage in reducing export subsidies for agriculture, she said after the meeting.

The two-hour meeting, which took place in a positive atmosphere, included also topics such as the WTO membership talks of Russia, the EU-US trade relations and the existing and also pending trade disputes.

Further information: Press Attaché Anna Tonttila, tel. + 358 9 1605 5356, gsm +358 40 5131 669