Both leaders warned that failure to conclude the so-called Doha Round of trade talks risks setting back efforts to liberalize global commerce by years, if not decades.
Their call came on the eve of a meeting of commerce ministers in Davos, Switzerland, timed to coincide with the World Economic Forum at which business and political leaders mingle each year to discuss the state of the planet.
"The conclusion of the Doha Round is of utmost importance," said Merkel. "We are literally meters away from the finishing line." She warned that if a deal isn't reached soon, "decades will go by without this opportunity offering itself again." The trade talks, launched 10 years ago in the Qatari capital Doha, have been declared moribund by experts for a long time, as rich and poor countries clash over lowering tariffs and easing access to each others' markets.
"People feel like this is somehow Monty Python's dead parrot, but we won't stop talking about it," Cameron said.
"I profoundly believe that is not true." Proponents say a Doha deal could add billions to the global economy. "This is a stimulus that doesn't cost money, so it is the stimulus that we need," Cameron said.
Experts remain skeptical that a deal can be reached this year, mainly because China and the United States remain at loggerheads on key issues. Pushing the talks into 2012 — a US presidential election year — would make a conclusion even less likely because the sensitive issue of trade would be a hard sell for politicians of any stripe.
"It may not be dead, but it's playing possum," said Jean-Pierre Lehmann, professor of business at the IMD business school in Lausanne, close to the World Trade Organization's Geneva headquarters.
Not reaching a deal this year could be a firm sign that the world is headed for one or more trade wars, Lehmann said.
The discussion over trade echoes concerns that the global economic downturn since 2007 has made it harder for leaders to put immediate national interests aside and work together toward a bigger goal — be it combating climate change, global food price rises or currency speculation.
Merkel said earlier that euro zone countries had to abide by the rules set out when the common currency was founded, including sticking to government debt limits.
