Lamy says WTO round in crisis, but still doable

GENEVA, July 1 (Reuters) World Trade Organisation (WTO) chief Pascal Lamy said on Saturday that the WTO's Doha round was in crisis after ministers failed to achieve a breakthrough, but that an accord was still achievable.

Speaking to journalists after two days of talks, Lamy said that no progress had been made on the core issues of farm and industrial goods.

''There has been no progress, therefore we are in a crisis,'' he said. ''But the sense is that it remains doable.'' Despite warnings by Lamy that the future of the WTO round hung by a thread, top trading powers were unable to agree on how far rich nations should slash farm subsidies and tariffs and developing countries open their manufacturing markets.

Nevertheless, Lamy told a news conference, the gaps between the various positions were not ''unbridgeable''.

Without a deal soon, Lamy says the WTO could run out of time to finish the Doha round, which also includes complex issues such as services, by the end of the year which is the absolute cut-off date.

REUTERS SHR VV2217