BUSAN, South Korea, Nov. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Foreign and trade ministers of 21 economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC) forum adopted a joint statement on Wednesday here, affirming their commitment to achieving trade and investment liberalization and facilitation on the APEC region by 2010 and 2020.

    Ministers reached the following agreement at the APEC Ministerial Meeting which ended Wednesday, the ministers:     

    In strengthening the multilateral trading system:

    -- Welcomed the APEC's contribution to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations.

    -- Reaffirmed the importance of trade-related capacity building as a tool to enable developing economies to accede to the WTO.

    -- Welcomed progress in the negotiations of Russia's accession to the WTO.

    In mid-term stocktake of the Bogor goals:

    -- Endorsed the "Busan Roadmap", a mid-term stocktake of progress towards the Bogor Goals.

    -- Agreed that Individual Action Plans and Collective Action Plan were the major vehicles in achieving the Bogor Goals.

    In trade and investment liberalization and facilitation (TILF)

    -- Endorsed the 2005 Committee on Trade and Investment Annual Report to Ministers on APEC's Trade and Investment Liberalization and Facilitation activities.

    -- Welcomed the progress made by the economies towards meeting the target established under the 2001 Trade Facilitation Action Plan.

    -- Emphasized the importance they attached to APEC's work on Regional Trade Agreement and Free Trade Agreement.

    -- Agreed to strengthen intellectual property protection and enforcement.

    -- Welcomed the progress made by economies towards strengthening food safety cooperation across APEC.

    In anti-corruption and transparency standards:

    -- Ministers welcomed the outcomes of the APEC Anti-Corruption and Transparency Symposium and urged greater action to combat corruption.

    In human security:

    -- Renewed their counter-terrorism determination.

    -- Recognized the need to further facilitate secure trade, to reduce public health hazards.

    -- Committed to accelerating APEC's ongoing work on infectious disease threats such as avian influenza and HIV/AIDS.

    -- Emphasized access to adequate, reliable, affordable and cleaner energy. Enditem