WHO IS THE BARBER AT THE GATT?

Oct 1, 1992

WHO IS THE BARBER AT THE GATT?

GENEVA, 30 (TWN) -- The tense atmosphere, in the GATT Council Tuesday, over U.S.-EC oilseeds dispute was enlivened by a Hungarian communist-era joke.

In the discussions over the U.S. request for arbitration to settle the dispute over the damage its trade has suffered, a large number of speakers gave support to the U.S., viewing the EC as trying to gain more time and adopting dilatory tactics to avoid implementing panel rulings against it.

But the European Community, which opposes arbitration, got support from Austria, Norway and Switzerland - all three, seeking accession to the enlarged European Community and already functioning as "good Europeans".

The Hungarian delegate in a reference to this brought some laughter into the tense Council debate.

The delegate said that he was reminded of a joke in Budapest (during the Communist rule) when a barber asked his client what he thought of the political situation.

The customer said he agreed with the barber, whereupon the barber protested that he had expressed no views.

"That is true", the client said, "but you have the razor in your hands".