Japan acknowledged yesterday it was facing increased pressure to make concessions as WTO trade facilitators went into overdrive in an effort to get stuttering talks going again. In a rare insight into how the mostly secretive discussions have been proceeding, Japan's ambassador for international trade and economy, Seiichi Kondo, described the crucial role played by six negotiation facilitators responsible for components of the Doha round, including agriculture, market access and services. Mr Kondo said the facilitators had taken to visiting ministers one by one for 'confession sessions' in a bid to thrash out the more contentious issues. 'I participated in one such meeting yesterday, and it is the first time I have made a confession,' Mr Kondo joked. 'Of course, concessions I have made before, but for confessions that was my first experience.' Joking aside, however, Mr Kondo said the tactic was perhaps the only viable way to bring opposing sides together. 'I don't know who invented these confessions, but it is a brilliant idea, especially in the context of the WTO with its 150 members, where it is very difficult to reach a consensus,' he said. The first few days of the talks have been dominated by the predictable spat between the United States and the European Union, most notably on agriculture. But there is a growing awareness that if a meaningful agreement is to be reached in Hong Kong the first significant concessions will have to come soon. 'So far I haven't seen any new offers made, but once it reaches that stage, things could move very quickly,' Mr Kondo said. The concessions that could generate the most momentum are the ones that countries find most difficult to make. For Japan, rice is considered the most politically sensitive issue, and the country's negotiators have shown little indication that it is even up for discussion. Mr Kondo said talks had not reached the stage of negotiating specific products, but said the negotiators remained aware both of the international pressure and the need to respond to the social and political needs of the farmers in Japan. 'It is a very painful process, but we are working very hard,' he said.