APEC must be committed to making Doha round success: minister

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
forum must be committed to ensuring the success of the global free
trade talks known as the Doha Round rather than seeking an alternative
regional agreement, an Indonesian minister said.

"It is important for APEC to have commitment to making the WTO a
success rather than seeking a regional alternative agreement," Trade
Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said on Monday.

She said free trade agreements (FTA) at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels would run parallel with one another.

"That is what Indonesia is going to pursue. What is important is how to
keep the consistency of three negotiation networks," she said.

Admittedly, APEC leaders were still undecided about changing the forum
into a negotiation one but had agreed to study options to achieve FTA
throughout Asia and the Pacific, she said.

"My suggestion is that how we can achieve several important parts of the FTA without negotiations," she said.

The adoption of ASEAN Single Window by APEC was among the crucial
agreements to achieve an Asia Pacific economic integration, she said.

She predicted the Doha Round would last longer than expected while a
number of countries expected it could be completed later this year.(*) END

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