Saturday at the WTO Exhausting,

Saturday at the WTO

Exhausting, marathon negotiations in Geneva, reports news.com.au: "No result in marathon WTO debate". And it can't go on forever. Logistical issues may put a stop to it by Sunday:

"...Other diplomats noted, however, that logistical rather than political reasons would prevent the talks from continuing indefinitely.

Switzerland is due to celebrate national day tomorrow [Sunday - Ben], raising security concerns as thousands of people flock to Geneva, while many delegates, who have already postponed flights home, are due to leave in the next 24 hours.

"It's going to end this afternoon, whatever happens," said one trade diplomat on condition of anonymity..."

Friday night and Saturday the negoitators plowed through the agricultural elements of the document and then moved on to industrial tariffs. The Group of 90 (poorest countries) and the EU have signed off on the agricultural sections, reports the Jakarta Post: "Consensus on farming at WTO within reach: Spokesman".

Richard Waddington and Patrick Lannin also report that things are coming together in this Reuters dispatch (from just after noon in Geneva - many hours ago now): http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=5835204&src=rss/businessNews">"Breakthrough on WTO Trade Pact Seen Close".

"...I think that the momentum is such that it is difficult not to conclude (successfully)," Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told reporters at the WTO's headquarters.

"This is the beginning of the end for (farm) subsidies. Export subsidies will be eliminated first," Amorim added.

Brazil leads the so-called G20 group of nations which played a key role in the failure of last year's talks in Cancun, where they mounted fierce attacks on rich countries' farm subsidies..."