The deadlock in the current World Trade Organization (WTO) talks, or the stalled Doha round, could be solved within the next 30 days, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Monday.

Lula, who just returned from his U.S. tour, said in a radio program that U.S. President George W. Bush told him during their meeting on Saturday that an agreement could be reached within the next 30 days.

Lula stopped short of giving more details.

Also on Monday, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said the two leaders talked about a timetable during their meeting, adding he was confident that a framework deal could come out by May.

The Doha round was initially launched in 2001, with the aim of alleviating poverty through fairer trade practices. But the negotiations again came to a deadlock in July 2006 due to sharp differences among major WTO members on agricultural trade and industrial market access.

Source: Xinhua