Munir Akram, Pakistan's ambassador to the UN Geneva office, told Conference News Daily Monday afternoon: "So far the negotiations have not been proceeding as positively as we would have hoped." He said the so-called "friends of the chair" dividing the actual work of the conference "unfortunately are not dealing with issues of priority to developing countries."'

"We are being blocked by the US on the issue of textiles. We are pressed by the EU on environment and trade and investment policy," he said. "And we are being pressed very hard to accept negative positions on trade and environment, trade and investment and trade and competition," he said.

As of Monday evening, he said "We have not secured any agreement in respect to the 'development box," in reference to a provision that would protect poor farmers and help less-developed countries face temporary food crises. "The net balance of the negotiations at the present state of play is not very positive from the perspective of the developing countries and Pakistan," he said. "We hope that things change in the next 24 hours." He said he was disappointed in "the inability of the developing countries to permeate the positions of the developed countries."

Asked about the new special relationship with the United States, as a partner in the American so-called "war on terrorism," Akram said, "Yes, we do have this new relationship, and we hope the US will be responsive to Pakistan's economic needs."

"Pakistan is expected to take a hit of $2.5 billion as a conservative estimate because of the situation, and it will take a much larger effort on the part of the international community to redress the damage to Pakistan's economy," he said.