Geneva  - World Trade Organization chief Pascal Lamy said Friday he would not call trade ministers to Geneva for a meeting on the Doha Round of negotiations before the end of the year.

He said he had been in intense talks with ministers but concluded that given the gaps in positions between member states on industrial sectors and agricultural issues, as well as cotton trade, it would not be possible to move forward on the trade talks.

Lamy said the lack of agreement was a setback but a routine part of trade negotiations and that some progress had been made since the last ministerial meeting collapsed in July.

He had previously said locking in a deal would have helped efforts to improve the global economic situation.

The Doha Development Round started in 2001. (dpa)