Leaders from the Group of Eight powers renewed their commitment to free trade when they pledged at their weekend summit to step up efforts to launch a new round of global trade liberalization talks by the end of this year.
There is no guarantee, however, that the next wave of trade negotiations to be sponsored by the World Trade Organization will get off to a start without a hitch.
The G8 leaders said in a joint communique that they are determined to intensify cooperation to "try together with other WTO members to launch such a round during the course of this year."
The reference was included after Japan, host of this year's summit, did its utmost to exert leadership by brokering accords on thorny global problems such as the early launch of a new WTO round.