Brazil's Lula proposes trade summit to Bush

Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:31pm EST
BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva proposed to U.S. President George W. Bush a meeting of world leaders to help conclude global trade talks, a government spokesman said on Tuesday.
Lula telephoned Bush on Tuesday and suggested the meeting take place in April, when both leaders are expected to be in Europe, Marcelo Baumbach, the president's spokesman, told reporters.
Lula has already discussed the possibility with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the spokesman said.
Bush said he would study the proposal as well as an invitation by Lula to attend a biofuels conference in Sao Paulo in November, Baumbach said.
There was renewed impetus in the World Trade Organization's Doha round of trade talks, Lula said during the 20-minute conversation and urged Bush to help work toward its successful conclusion, according to Baumbach.
Brazil has been a key player in the talks as leader of the G20 group of developing nations.
The Doha round of world trade talks was launched a little more than six years ago. Many analysts believe the talks could drag on for several more years unless completed before the next U.S. president takes office in January 2009.
Washington is under pressure to offer deeper farm subsidy cuts in the negotiations, and is insisting advanced developing countries like Brazil and India do their part by opening their markets to more foreign farm and manufactured goods.
(Reporting by Raymond Colitt, editing by Todd Eastham)