(dpa) - Germany voiced disappointment Tuesday at the collapse of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks on the conclusion of the Doha Round, saying it would press for the talks to reopen.
"An agreement at the multilateral trade negotiations would have been been an important boost at the right moment for the world economy," said Bernd Pfaffenbach, state secretary at the Economics Ministry in Berlin.
He said the German government would work insistently on a resumption of the talks as soon as possible.
"We cannot afford any lengthy idle period," said Pfaffenbach, saying that all WTO members would benefit if markets were opened.
Ludwig Georg Braun, president of the Federation of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce DIHK, called the breakdown a "harsh setback" for business. "A major opportunity has been wasted, especially considering that the world economy is clouding over," he said.