Government ministers from 23 nations, including Switzerland, are struggling to overcome their differences in talks aimed at preparing for a World Trade Organisation summit in the United States next month.

Government ministers from 23 nations, including Switzerland, are struggling to overcome their differences in talks aimed at preparing for a World Trade Organisation summit in the United States next month.

While the discussions are continuing for a second day in the Swiss city of Lausanne Tuesday, the opening session already saw rich nations pitted against poor ones: Both sides were fighting for influence over the agenda for a new round of trade liberalisation talks due to be launched in the U.S. city of Seattle.

"There was a realisation that there is a lot of work that needs doing between here and then," said one official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Among those attending the Lausanne talks were Swiss Economics Ministers Pascal Couchepin (centre), the European Union’s Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy (left), WTO Director-General Mike Moore, U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky as well as Japan's Minister of International Trade and Industry, Takashi Fukaya (right).

Chairman Couchepin warned that if differences could not be settled, the Seattle meeting could end without agreement.

"It isn't impossible that Seattle will be a failure," he said. "The differences are clear. Now we have to work for agreement."

With time running out before the meeting of all 135 WTO countries in Seattle, members are struggling to produce a draft declaration which will set out the WTO's main aims and commitments in the next few years.

The main sticking points before, during and after Seattle look to be the issues of agriculture and how countries meet their commitments from the last round.

Many countries are pushing for the 15-nation EU to scrap its large and complex system of subsidies for farmers. The EU says it is prepared to make concessions, but insists discussions on agriculture must also cover areas like food safety, animal welfare and development issues.

Developing countries are furious that they have not benefited as expected from the last trade round and want to limit the round to the minimum.

From staff and wire reports.

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative