Asia-Pacific nations to urge joint efforts to overcome economic crisis

---

LIMA, Nov 20 (AFP): Top officials from the Asia-Pacific region were today to urge joint efforts to overcome the world economic crisis and try to breathe new life into stalled global trade talks.
The trade and diplomatic officials were meeting in Peru's capital to prepare a weekend leaders' summit of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum with the economic issues highest on the agenda.
Chinese President Hu Jintao was already in town, having arrived Wednesday, and was scheduled to meet Peruvian lawmakers and entrepreneurs.
As ministers finalised the agenda of the APEC summit, several emphasised the need to kick-start the Doha trade talks, which hit a dead-end in July, in order to counter a global slowdown that is even affecting China, Asia's economic powerhouse.
They were united on "the importance of avoiding protectionism and the importance of moving ahead with the Doha round," US Trade Representative Susan Schwab told reporters Wednesday.
Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said he also saw impetus for new efforts to revive global trade in the face of dispiriting economic news across the developed and developing world.
"The time has come for the Doha round to be brought to a conclusion, and that I think is the main topic of conversation for APEC this week," Smith told reporters.
Japanese trade minister Toshihiro Nikai also called for concerted action.
"Usually, interests are often diverse in such a big gathering, but since we have a strong sense of crisis, we are all united and heading toward the same direction," he said.
Concerning trade talks, "we renewed our determination to take action in line with the strong message sent at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit," said Nikai.
In Washington, White House official Dan Price said President George W Bush hoped fellow APEC leaders would back a declaration by G20 leaders last weekend that stressed commitment to free trade.
Several nations, including the United States, Japan, China and Russia, are members of both the G20 -- which includes the world's biggest industrialised and developing nations-and APEC.
With trade the focus of the APEC gathering, many eyes are on Bush, who is making his last scheduled trip abroad to attend.
Among a swathe of bilateral meetings taking place, one between Bush and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was likely to be watched closely, given the depths US-Russian relations are plumbing.
Medvedev's effort to pursue ties with Cuba and Venezuela, notable adversaries of the United States on Washington's doorstep, was seen as a pointed challenge to US dominance in Latin America.
After visiting Peru, the Russian leader was to go on to Brazil, Venezuela and Cuba.
Hu meanwhile was to meet entrepreneurs and address Peru's parliament Thursday, emphasising China's growing role in a region where it has traditionally had a low profile.
Earlier report adds: US President George W Bush heads Friday to an Asia-Pacific summit in Peru, seeking a stronger united front on the global economic meltdown and progress on dismantling North Korea's nuclear programmes.
In addition to the APEC forum meetings, Bush was expected to meet with leaders of China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and Peru in what may be his final trip abroad before leaving office January 20.
Bush's top goal was for some of the 21 APEC members to sign on to the G20's statement of principles for tackling the worldwide economic crisis, as approved in November 14-15 talks in Washington, a top aide said.