WTO issues new proposals on services sector

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But Mexico's WTO ambassador Fernando de Mateo y Venturini, who chairs WTO talks on services in the Doha round negotiations to open up world trade, told reporters that members had not yet agreed on dates for revised or final offers in the sector.

GENEVA (Reuters) - A World Trade Organisation (WTO) mediator issued new proposals on Monday for freeing up trade in services such as banking and telecoms as part of a global deal.

But Mexico's WTO ambassador Fernando de Mateo y Venturini, who chairs WTO talks on services in the Doha round negotiations to open up world trade, told reporters that members had not yet agreed on dates for revised or final offers in the sector.

"Members shared the view that substantial efforts were needed to reach a successful conclusion of the negotiations," Mateo said in a draft annex to the report, which could form the blueprint of a deal on services.

Mateo's new paper follows revised negotiating texts issued last week for the core agriculture and industrial goods chapters of the Doha round, now in its seventh year. The documents aim to prepare the way for a possible meeting of ministers in the coming weeks to clinch an outline deal.

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(Reporting by Jonathan Lynn)