EU, Japan call for new trade round 欧日呼吁召开新一轮贸易谈判

Worldwide demonstrations disrupted trade talks

世界各地的示威活动中断了贸易谈判

Europe and Japan have called for the resumption of world trade talks by the end of this year.

The call came at the end of the EU-Japan summit in Tokyo, ahead of a meeting of the leaders of the world's major industrial countries in Okinawa on Friday.

Global trade talks broke down in December in Seattle, amid bitter recriminations between trading partners and mass demonstrations on the streets.

In a joint statement, Japan's Premier Mori and French President Jacques Chirac said they accepted that many people were worried by the growing globalisation of the world economy.

"The launch of a new round of trade negotiations remains the best way for the World Trade Organisation to respond to these challenges," they said.

欧洲和日本提出在年底前继续世界贸易谈判。

欧日在东京的会谈结束时的这一呼吁，是在周五冲绳将召开的世界主要工业国家会议(G8)前提出的。

上次的西亚图全球贸易谈判在贸易伙伴相互辛辣的指责、大街上群众游行抗议声中于12月中断。

在一份联合声明中，日本首相森喜朗和法国总统希拉克称他们认识到许多人对世界经济全球化的担忧。

他们说，“展开新一轮贸易谈判仍是世贸组织迎接这些挑战的最好途径。”