G-8 Leaders Seek To Revive WTO Talks

Russia's Putin and France's Chirac (file photo) 9 June 2004 -- Leaders of the G-8 group of major industrialized nations are seeking to revive stalled World Trade Organization talks.

A draft statement to be adopted by the G-8 leaders agrees to "put the talks on track" with a framework agreement on key issues by the end of July.

The leaders of the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Canada, and Russia are on their second day of talks in the U.S. state of Georgia.

The leaders also met with their counterparts from Arab and Muslim countries today to discuss a U.S. initiative to promote democracy in the Middle East.

Earlier, some Arab leaders criticized the initiative, saying it seeks to impose Western democratic reforms on Arab and Muslim governments.

(AFP)