WTO UPDATE: LATEST NEWS FROM DOHA

mexicatl: hello, updates from doha, no time or capability for audio updates
mexicatl: it is now 4:05 am here. i am inside the sheraton hotel now, most of the people have left since an announcement on any decision has been delayed until 7:00 am
mexicatl: the discussion are going on as i write this inside the "green rooms"
mexicatl: issues are limited to a 2-3 key countries now
mexicatl: i've heard india is being difficult
mexicatl: no, EU and US are very much on the same line
mexicatl: france is being represented by the EU trade commisioner pascal lamy (lemy)?
mexicatl: france is being represented by the EU trade commisioner pascal lamy (lemy?)
anna: lamy
mexicatl: now, india and ACP (african caribeean block) have a agreement of solidarity
mexicatl: africa being difficult too.
mexicatl: quotes from Mr. Lazare Sehouto, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Employment for Benin:
mexicatl: "If there is a new round of trade talks, it will probably not include Africa"
mexicatl: "Some delegations like Mexico's are protecting low wage jobs and American companies"
mexicatl: "The Mexican delegation is an arm of the United States"
mexicatl: (sorry for the mexican bias, but it was a very informal chat and I still have problems with me french
mexicatl: )
mexicatl: "There is some cohesion within the African nations"
mexicatl: "The EU and the United States are unwilling to make consessions"
blicero: mexicatl you are giving me one of the greatest news in my life!!
blicero: ;)
mexicatl: these came from a short interview i did with him about two hours ago, as he was leaving
anna: acp is africa, caribbean + pacific rim
mexicatl: he wasn't too happy and decided that since it had already run over, then he would leave. left his delegation to deal with the rest.
blicero: they kick ass
blicero: africa confederation is our only hope of a third economic system
blicero: no socialist no capitalist
mexicatl: more recently i just chatted with a the Minister of Commerce for the Ivory Coast, Mr. Eric Kplohourou Kahe
blicero: tribal communitarianism !! ;)))))))
mexicatl: this was about 20 minutes ago
blicero: when will you upload all of this studd?
mexicatl: i'm about the only press that is still here (!)
blicero: I am eager ;))))
mexicatl: oh, before all this happened (as in last night) word was that the TRIPS agreement had been reached, but was very vague and lacking in details
mexicatl: some provisions for Least Developed Countries
mexicatl: quotes from Mr. Kahe
mexicatl: who is this second involved in the discussions inside the green room
mexicatl: "The subsidies issue has been agreed upon, but the environment and investment is still contested"
mexicatl: "The discussion could go beyond 7:00 am"
mexicatl: "The EU and the US are finally making concession"
mexicatl: my own analysis tells me that the eu and the us are getting desperate
mexicatl: the acp countries would not agree to anything that might harm their subsidies therefore i think that it is the us who gave in
mexicatl: i have talked to a delegate from brazil and from the EC (european commission), they said they didn't know anything about this
mexicatl: the two delegates from africa were the chief delegates, unlike the brazilian and the EC ones
mexicatl: they're probably better informed :)
mexicatl: here in the hallway i can count about 10 people, as opposed to about 300 just 3 hours ago
mexicatl: tension is intense though, massive security everywhere
mexicatl: no private cars or taxis can enter the red zone. one must go to the dana club, about 2-3 km from the sheraton where they pick up the shuttle here
mexicatl: there was an ngo protest earlier today, about 30 took par
mexicatl: it was limited to the press center and the outside hall connection it to the rest of the sheraton complex
mexicatl: a wall of security prevented them from entering, even though they had creditation
anna: 30 ngos or 30 people?
mexicatl: ngo here = one person. one person per ngo was accredited.

end irc log

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