COLOGNE (Germany). Feb

1: German Agriculture Minister Jochen Borchert called for a successful end to General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade talks aimed at freeing up world trade, saying this would help global economic recovery, reports Reuter.

Borchert told a news conference for the opening of the International Confectionery Trade Fair, "success in the GATT negotiations would make an important contribution to the revival of the weakened world economy."

This would in turn benefit export-orientated German in-d us try. he said.

A text of his speech was released tn advance of delivery.

Borchert said the first barrier on the way to finalising

the Uruguay Round had been overcome with the agreement on agriculture between the US an the European Community.

Now other open questions in areas outside agriculture must be addressed, he said. Wide differences of opinion remained in the area of services and textiles.

The result of the GATT negotiations would also have an impact on a study of EC sugar market regulations currently in progress, he said. He expected current regulations to be extended for a further year.

AFP from Wellington reports: Reaching agreement on a new General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) shbuld be the priority of the Clinton administration, not the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Prime Minister Jim Bolger said here Monday.

Over the weekend GATT Director General Arthur Dunkel warned ft was unlikely agreement would be reached before the present United States deadline for an accord ran out tn four weeks.

Separately US Senator Bill Bradley suggested at a conference in Switzerland that President Bill Clinton should have the ratification of NAFTA as a priority in his first year.

"Any such shift of focus of course we would find very difficult," Bolger said. "The world community has spent six years trying to conclude a GATT agreement."

The Prime Minister said at a press conference any sugfies-

tion ol a switch in locus would be adversely received Internationally.

"Collectively as a world community we have put enormous effort Into getting world trade rules made more equitable, more understandable, he said.

Earlier, trade negotiations Minister Philip Burdon warned six years of hard slog In the GATT Uruguay Round talks could be lost unless the major players acted immediately.

"It is critical the momentum of the talks is not lost and the negotiations allowed to stagnate because that could substantially delay conclusion of the round and lead to an unravelling of the package on the table.