I wish to thank the Italian Government for inviting me to attend this conference. I am only sorry that I shall not be able to spend more time with you, but you know of the pressures and needs of Geneva at the moment. In a few short days we shall be in Seattle, at the WTO's Third Ministerial Conference. What happens in Seattle will shape our institution and determine the quality of trade relations among nations as we enter the new millennium. The stakes are high, and we still have a lot of work to do if we are to make Seattle the success that it should be.
Failure is unthinkable.
Recently I advised Ministers that the situation in Geneva was serious but not desperate. After long hours I can report progress. The situation is desperate but not serious. The differences among governments over which we are struggling right now in Geneva are genuine and honest differences. And the efforts to bridge them are every bit as genuine.