VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSO #0407 2111630
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 291630Z JUL 08
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8419
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 9560
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 8797
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 3137

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000407 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD 
 
DEPT PASS USTR 
 
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: GLOBAL ECONOMY: DOHA ROUND 
 
The Play from Brazil 
Editorial in liberal Folha de S. Paulo (7/29) says: "With a food 
crisis at the door, it seems that the political desire to conclude 
the Doha Round has emerged.  An agreement, even if modest in 
relation to its initial expectations, would avoid a major weakening 
of the multilateral trade system. ...Brazil decided to move away 
from its traditional partners and support the proposal, uniting 
itself with the U.S., the European Union and Japan.  This move 
reopened the possibility of concluding the negotiations that have 
already lasted seven years. The thing now is try to convince the 
others. ... By momentarily keeping its distance from India, China 
and Argentina, Itamaraty [Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry] 
understood that the game of trade negotiations cannot be done based 
on rigid surpassed geopolitical schemes." 
 
 
Safeguards Put Doha in Risk Again 
Editorial in business-oriented Valor Economico (7/29) comments: 
"Brazil moved away from the G-20 for its own interest, because 
safeguards are no good for the country.  The union was possible 
while the goal was to conduct a war against the subsidies of the 
rich countries.  It was known that this union would hide adverse 
interests that would emerge in the final phase.  Small advances were 
achieved before a round that pretended to be focused on 
"development".  It is not certain that negotiations reach a 
conclusion.  Disfigured by the rich countries intransigency, there 
are serious doubts whether it was worth waiting so long for so 
little." 
Story