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MDLOAN 7275
THESE
SATISFACTION THAT CLOSE CONTACTS WERE ESTABLISHED ON IMPORTANT NEGOTIATIONS AND AGREED THAT EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO MAINTAIN THEM IN THE CONTINUING NEGOTIATIONS. THE MINISTERS NOTED THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD BEEN THE FIRST PARTICIPANT IN THE MTN WHICH HAD TABLED A SIGNIFICANT OFFER ON TROPICAL PRODUCTS, A SECTOR OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO ASEAN. THEY REAFFIRMED THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS SHALL AIM AT THE FULLEST LIBERALISATION OF TRADE IN THIS SECTOR.
THE MINISTERS ALSO NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF NATURAL RESOURCE-BASED PRODUCTS AS WELL AS TEXTILES AND CLOTHING FOR ASEAN AND EXPRESSED THEIR DETERMINATION TO WORK TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES STATED IN THE PUNTA DEL ESTE DECLARATION. MINISTERS EXPRESSED SATISFACTION THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF PROPOSALS WHICH COULD SERVE AS A HAD BEEN TABLED IN GENEVA ON AGRICULTURE,
IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE BASIS FOR MEANINGFUL NEGOTIATIONS. COMMITMENTS SET OUT IN PUNTA DEL ESTE, THE MINISTERS AGREE THAT THESE NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD FOCUS ON SECURING A COMPREHENSIVE LONG-TERM FRAMEWORK FOR AGRICULTURAL REFORM AS WELL AS CONSISTENT SHORT-TERM MEASURES. BOTH SIDES CONSIDERED THAT PROGRESS IN THIS
OVERALL SUCCESS OF THE KEY SECTOR IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT TO THE URUGUAY ROUND AS WELL AS THE PROMOTION OF LIBERALISED WORLD AGRICULTURAL TRADE IN GENERAL.
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THE MINISTERS REAFFIRMED THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCIPLE OF STANDSTILL AND ROLLBACK AND EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERN THAT IN SPITE OF THE ON-GOING NEGOTIATIONS, BARRIERS CONTINUED TO BE INTRODUCED BY CERTAIN COUNTRIES IN THIS CONTEXT THE MINISTERS WELCOMED THE COMMUNITY'S INITIATIVE IN PRESENTING AN AUTONOMOUS ROLLBACK OFFER IN GENEVA. THEY NOTED THAT SPECIAL AND DIFFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES APPLIES TO THESE NEGOTIATIONS IN
THEY ALSO NOTED ACCORDANCE WITH THE PUNTA DEL ESTE DECLARATION. THAT AS THE ECONOMIC AND TRADE SITUATION OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IMPROVES, THE COUNTRIES CONCERNED ACCORDINGLY EXPECT TO PATICIPATE MORE FULLY IN THE FRAMEWORK OF RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE GATT. ON THE NEW SUBJECTS, NOTABLY SERVICES, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND TRADE-RELATED INVESTMENT MEASURES TOOK NOTE OF THE PREPARATORY WORK CARRIED OUT SO FAR AND EXPRESSED THEIR HOPE THAT FURTHER WORK IN THESE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT AREAS COULD LEAD TO SUCCESSFUL RESULTS.
THEY
THE MINISTERS WELCOMED THE DECISION TO HOLD A TRADE NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE (TNC) MINISTERIAL MEETING IN MONTREAL IN DECEMBER 1988 AND AGREED THAT THE MEETING SHOULD BE SEEN AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE POLITICAL IMPETUS TO THE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH SHALL BE TREATED AS A SINGLE UNDERTAKING WITHOUT PREJUDICE TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AGREEMENTS REACHED AT AN EARLY STAGE: IN THAT CONNECTION THE
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