Agreement eludes Apec ministers

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN - Apec Foreign and Trade Ministers will stress a commitment to free trade when they wind up their annual meeting in Brunei.

But they will not pledge to start a new round of global trade talks next year after disagreement over what the talks should cover.

The 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation grouping - representing two-thirds of the planet's population and almost half of world trade - has been locked in meetings for days trying to agree on a form of words to spur new global trade negotiations after the anarchic collapse of the World Trade organisation meeting in Seattle last year amid rioting by opponents of globalisation.

The United States, Australia and New Zealand had wanted Apec to commit itself to a start date in 2001, hoping that would help to speed up the process of removing global trade tariffs and other barriers to business around the world.

But Malaysia and other nations have argued for no mention of dates, saying an agenda for the new round should be settled first.

Some countries, including the United States, want trade issues discussed one by one. Others argue that all trade issues should be put on the table at the same time and agreed on together.

A draft final leaders' communique obtained by Reuters at the weekend contained only one paragraph saying the Pacific Rim leaders would "strive" for a new round of global trade talks next year.

- REUTERS

Herald Online feature: Apec