GENEVA : Which Deadline?
While Dec. 15 is the final deadline for a world trade agreement, the man in overall charge of the negotiations has drawn the line two days earlier for the completion of negotiations.
Peter Sutherland, director general of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, has advised the 116 nations that a full day is needed to complete the logistics of translating and printing any agreement into French, English and Spanish, while a second 24-hour grace period is needed for diplomats to advise their capitals of possible last-minute minor changes in the final text.
Analysts warn that if the current round of talks fails, it could trigger a global downturn in financial markets and restrain world economic growth.
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