Major developing nations' ministers to meet on global trade

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 9 Kyodo

Ministers from the Group of 20 major developing nations are set to convene Saturday for two-day talks to discuss resumption of the stalled Doha Round of multilateral trade liberalization talks under the World Trade Organization.

The gathering will also be attended by WTO Director General Pascal Lamy, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson and Japanese Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shoichi Nakagawa.

The G-20, which includes Brazil, Argentina, India and South Africa, is urging developed nations to open their farm produce markets wider to imports and cut back on agricultural subsidies.

The Doha Round of talks have been suspended since the ministerial talks in Geneva in July between six key WTO players -- Australia, Brazil, the European Union, India, Japan and the United States -- broke down.

The Doha Round aims to dismantle barriers in agricultural and industrial trade, and to alleviate poverty through commerce.

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