PUCON, Chile, June 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Trade ministers from 21 economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on Saturday voiced their support for efforts to resume the World Trade Organization talks on trade liberalization.

    Ending a two-day conference in Pucon, a resort town 700 km south of the Chilean capital of Santiago, the ministers urged in astatement all the WTO members to intensify their efforts to agreeby July "on the key issues that will provide a clear way forward" to the stalled talks, known as the Doha Round of trade talks.

    "A specific commitment to abolishing all forms of export subsidies by a date certain" should be included, said the statement.

    The ministers also reiterated their commitment to applying security measures in ports and airports to secure trade exchange.

    The WTO talks in the Mexican city of Cancun collapsed last yearafter a dispute between developing and industrialized states over richer states' farming subsidies and tariffs imposed on agricultural imports by developing economies.

    However, "this meeting has given an important push" to the WTO talks, US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick told a news conference after the meeting.

    Ryuichiro Yamakazi, a senior Japanese trade official, said his country would show flexibility in fulfilling the aim of eliminating subsidies for exports.

    Chilean Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear, who chaired the conference, also expressed her satisfaction over the consensus on the WTO talks, calling for flexibility and political will in the coming talks.

    APEC is a trans-Pacific consultation forum founded in 1989 to facilitate trade, investment and economic cooperation among Asia-Pacific economies that represent 47 percent of global trade and 2.5 billion of the world population. Enditem