Worldwide disappointment at WTO talks

Thousands of protesters disrupted the talks

Government officials from a number of countries have expressed disappointment at the inconclusive outcome of World Trade Organisation talks in Seattle.

Many developing countries felt that their specific needs and preoccupations had not been addressed.

"From the day after the opening of the conference we became aware that Africa was not being taken into account in the way the negotiations were to be conducted," Senegalese Foreign Trade Minister Khalifa Ababacar Sall said.

"The fact that Africa was not brought into the running of the conference was the subject of various criticisms and a source of frustration."

The attitude of US trade representative Charlene Barshefsky had annoyed developing countries, he said.

"She as good as told us to come to an agreement and get on with it, by which she meant taking the USA's side. Or else, she said, she would find another solution."

Let down

Two Australian ministers said that their country had pinned a great deal of hope on a positive result.

Trade Minister Mark Vaile said it was a pity time had run out before negotiations could be completed.

"It's a disappointment. We came to Seattle to launch a new round. We're well down the path towards that.

"It is just quite unfortunate that a ministerial declaration has not been able to be completed in the time available here in Seattle," Mr Vaile said.

Agriculture Minister Warren Truss said that Australian farmers had looked forward to reaping the benefits of a successful outcome.

"That was very important for Australian farmers and indeed for world agricultural trade, and we're disappointed that that's not going to result," Mr Truss said.

Stand vindicated

Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono said he preferred not to think of the summit as a failure.

"There were many complicated and difficult tasks. Time was too short to handle them."

But Indian Commerce Minister Murasoli Maran said that all the contentious issues his country had opposed - such as the setting of minimum labour standards - had been frozen.

"So, there will be no declaration - only the chairman's statement. India's stand has been vindicated."

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar said they regretted the failure of the talks but matters should not be allowed to stand still.

"A further liberalisation of world trade is necessary," Mr Schroeder said.

French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said the lack of a result was preferable to a bad agreement.

"Europe took an ambitious, consistent and constructive approach to these negotiations.

"Europe was right not to desist and not to accept truncated negotiations, which would have started things off on a negative footing."

Fair free trade

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres said that not enough attention had been given to the issues of justice and human rights.

"We have long insisted that it is not enough for trade to be free: trade must also be fair.

"It is unacceptable that, in the name of hard cash, in the name of profit, certain forms of competition should be allowed which are based on total disrespect for people's rights or total disrespect for environmental values."

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.