BY IRMA ISIP

DIRECTOR General Pascal Lamy of the World Trade Organization (WTO) yesterday sought the cooperation of the Philippines in moving the stalled negotiations for a fresh round of trade liberalization.

Lamy told members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry that "the Philippines needs to help move the process forward and help find the final balance."

Lamy said the WTO provides a global level playing field for Philippine exports, making sure they enjoy most-favored nation and national treatment without being discriminated against.

Lamy said the Philippines has in fact benefited from WTO’s dispute settlement system.

"The Doha Round, with its reduction of trade barriers in both developed and developing countries, would bring more market opportunities to Philippine exporters and producers," Lamy said.

Later in a press conference, Lamy said the WTO aims to reach a breakthrough in the first half of the year on the issues deadlocked at the Doha Round – removal of agricultural subsidies, agriculture tariff reduction and industrial tariff reduction – so that the trade body could conclude the negotiations "plus or minus eight months" after.

Lamy said while a breakthrough would "take a bit of time," key actors such as the United States, the European Union, India, Brazil and Japan are now in the stage of consulting bilaterally and "plurilaterally."

The PCCI luncheon was briefly interrupted by anti-liberalization protesters who shouted: "Get out Lamy, go, go. Shut down, shut down WTO."

The two protesters were dragged out by security personnel.