NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A trend toward greater protectionism was pushing the world toward a prolonged recession, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Wednesday, although he added an economic catastrophe could be averted.
Speaking at a World Economic Forum meeting in New Delhi, Harper said a recovery in the global economy was held back by investor worries of another "catastrophic event" similar to the financial crisis in 2008.
He said Canada was focusing on bilateral and regional free trade deals because of the logjam in the Doha round of World Trade Organisation negotiations. He said consensus on trade was slipping at the G20 group of nations, which has been key in coordinating international policy during the financial crisis.