In Britain this week he intends to push for compromise in the Doha round of world trade talks.

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The Doha round of world trade talks is barely alive.

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Vo Tri Thanh, a trade economist in Hanoi, argues that Vietnam could play a positive role in the Doha round of world trade talks as a fairly poor country that nevertheless strongly supports freer trade.

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Finance ministers will be also be discussing China's plans to float its currency and will try to stimulate progress in the Doha round of world trade talks, due to resume in Hong Kong in December.

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Mr Obama has expressed more support lately for completing free trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea, the Doha round of world trade talks, and the Trans Pacific Partnership, but that has not translated into results.

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Pascal Lamy, head of the World Trade Organisation, invoked them in his plea this week to save the Doha round of global trade talks.

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But failure to strike a any deal would have put at risk not just what would would be the biggest free-trade deal of its kind in over a decade, but also the stalled global trade talks known as the Doha Round, which are being held under the auspices of the World Trade Organization.

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With the Doha Round of multilateral trade talks moribund, this decision could shape the future of the world trading system.

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He urged them to press India's case in the Doha round of global trade talks and called on them to carry India's concerns about terrorism to the world stage.

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And much more serious than that, because it affects the whole world, is his failure to put anything worthwhile on the table to help revive the moribund Doha round of trade talks.

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