|
HONG KONG, Dec. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The Hong Kong session of the Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organization (WTO) ended on Thursday with a declaration urging all the WTO members to advance the Doha Round trade t
alks.
"Open, free, fair and growing trade reduces poverty and brings benefits to
developing countries," said the declaration issued after the Dec. 12-15 meeting.
It called on leaders, ministers and negotiators of the WTO members to "show
vision and leadership and pledge full support forthe multilateral trading
system."
The least-developed countries should be granted with the duty-free and
quote-free market access and the recently acceded membersbe given special and
differential treatment at the Doha Round talks,said the declaration.
"Agriculture is of concern to developed, developing, least developed,
exporting and importing countries alike, and is key to the successful conclusion
of trade talks," it added.
Ministers from WTO's 149 members started the Sixth Ministerial Conference
here on Tuesday in a new bid to push forward the Doha Round, which has bogged
down in a deadlock mainly over agriculture.
The Doha Round, launched in the Qatari capital in 2001, aims tolift
barriers to trade and reduce poverty in developing countries.Enditem
|