DOHA (Islamweb & News Agencies) - World trade ministers moved on Monday into the final stretch of talks on prying open global markets, balancing prospects of new economic wealth with the demands of poor nations to get their fair share.With disputes between the haves and have-nots of the world peppering every discussion, ministers from more than 140 countries were trying to come up with an agreement before their World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting ends on Tuesday.
Officials meeting in Doha bringing China and Taiwan into their fold but struggled over whether to launch a series of talks in areas ranging from agricultural trade to industrial tariffs.
The talks-on-whether-to-talk have been shadowed both by security concerns stemming from the September 11 attacks on America and by the fear of a back-to-back failure for the world trade body as the global economy staggers.
Their last meeting to try to set an agenda, in Seattle in 1999, foundered amid recriminations and rioting by anti-globalization activists.
On Sunday, delegates expressed cautious optimism that a pact could be agreed in Doha.
``Everyone can see the outline of an agreement,'' British Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt said in one of the more upbeat comments. WTO officials spoke of the process ''moving ahead.''
``Two days is very short but you can do a lot of things in two days,'' said French Trade Minister Francois Huwart.