Press Release: Walsh says onus on WTO negotiating partners to respond to EU offer as negotiations intensify

The Irish Minister for Agriculture and Food, Joe Walsh said, on 14 July 2004, that intense negotiations were under way in an attempt to reach agreement by the end of July 2004 on the framework (for modalities) of a new WTO agreement. Final agreement on the terms of the new round was unlikely to be reached until well into 2005 and Ireland was supportive of a well-balanced and comprehensive agreement.