The chief of World Trade Organization (WTO), who is currently on his East African tour to seek consensus for the restart of stalled trade negotiations, wrapped up his two-day visit Kampala on Saturday.

Pascal Lamy, director general of WTO, was in Uganda to prepare ground for the restart of the stalled WTO negotiations which failed later last year because of the reluctance by member states to reach a common position on tariffs and farm subsidies among other issues.

During the meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni in Gulu district in the war-ravaged north on Friday, Lamy called on the latter to mobilize the East Africa on the resumption of the negotiations, according to a release from State House issued here on Saturday.

Lamy asked President Museveni to influence major players in world trade like the European Union, China, India and Brazil to demonstrate practical flexibility and muster the necessary political will to restart the talks.

"Uganda is always willing to open up to any negotiations that can improve exportation of the country's agricultural produce and to work for increased market opportunities," Museveni told his guest.

The WTO chief urged member states especially developed countries to exercise flexibility and show political will to resume the stalled WTO negotiations.

"East African countries are fully engaged in the on-going WTO trade talks under the Doha Development Agenda. I am here to discuss how we can all work together to bring this round to a successful conclusion that will secure the developmental benefits to Africa in particular," a WTO statement said earlier quoting Lamy.

After visiting Uganda, the first leg of his six day visit to East Africa, which is part of his ongoing consultations with WTO members on how to move forward the WTO trade talks, Lamy flew to Tanzania later in the afternoon, before he makes the last stop at Kenya.

The Doha Development Agenda, launched in 2001 in the Qatari capital, was designed to re-balance the global trading system in favor of developing countries all around the world.

Source: Xinhua