PASCAL Lamy, World Trade Organization chief, would just be listening to government executives during his expected visit in the Philippines on February 22, the country’s chief trade negotiator said.

“We expect him to just listen to what we”ll say. I think he”s here to see how we’re doing in addressing several issues,” Trade senior undersecretary Thomas G. Aquino told reporters on Thursday.

Aquino announced in a press briefing that Lamy, WTO director general, is arriving in the country immediately after a visit to Indonesia.

When asked if there’s an implication on that, Aquino said that the sequence of the countries visited by Lamy is “probably because we’re perceived as hardline on certain agriculture issues.”

Indonesia is one of many developing countries that have fought hard on certain farm issues in the five-year trade talks.

Lamy’s visit comes almost a month after trade leaders from 30 countries pledged in Davos, Switzerland to support new rounds of talks that Lamy suspended seven months ago.

In July, Lamy suspended the rounds of meetings among countries that began in 2001 at Qatar’s capital of Doha after European and American trade representatives clashed with developing countries on subsidy issues.

Aquino particularly chided the European Union for “trying to be more

stringent as they reflect their rules.”

He cited for example the negotiations for the Philippines to export more tuna to Europe “but transshipment issues have not been addressed thoroughly.”

“They [Europeans] are not giving positive signals for developing economies,” Aquino said.

The French government has lobbied against new offers of reduction in tariffs on farm products, citing the need to protect the EU market from imports.

During the launch of the second year of an online training program on the WTO, Aquino said the country has a “crying need for negotiators.”

Aquino said while he isn’t tired yet of negotiating, there is a need for greater number of people, especially in government, to solidify the country’s acumen in international trade negotiations.

He said that aside from a good background in history, the negotiator should have patience.

“And knowing when to grovel, and grovel well and loud,” he added.

The training that has seen more than 300 graduates of an eight-course education program would come in handy as Lamy has reportedly expressed optimism that the world could see a global trade deal this year.

THE Supreme Court announced on Thursday that special courts will be established to handle cases of extra-judicial killings involving mediamen as well as members of militant groups.

THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) on Thursday called on the Japanese contractors involved in the construction of the P21-billion Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) to speed up work in order to meet their deadlines for the completion of the project.

THE National Police expects that the May 14 elections would be less violent than others.

Trade exec says WTO’s Lamy to ‘just listen’ during visit

PASCAL Lamy, World Trade Organization chief, would just be listening to government executives during his expected visit in the Philippines on February 22, the country’s chief trade negotiator said.

40 more local officials join new Cebu political party

EVEN as the One-Cebu Party was reported by Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, its founder, to be gaining strength with the jumping in of some 40 local officials from other parties, the question that remains looming like a giant on the horizon is where would the business sector put its money.