The WTO informal ministerial meeting is very important to provide trade ministers with directions at the crucial period of the Doha Development

Agreement (DDA) negotiation, said James Peterson, Canadian International Trade Minister in Dalian Tuesday.

He was here to attend the WTO informal ministerial meeting, which will focus on the DDA negotiations. He and other trade ministers and WTO officials will have in-depth discussions on the five core areas of the conference: agriculture, non-agriculture market access, development, services and rules.

In November 2001, the declaration of the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference, an event held in Doha of Qatar, provides the mandate for negotiations on a range of subjects and other work, including issues concerning the implementation of the present agreements.

"We have to come to some very important decisions for the WTO and subjects as agriculture, goods, and services," Peterson told Xinhua, stressing that agriculture is the core element for the meeting.

WTO members still have diverging ideas about reduction or exemption of the agriculture products subsidies. Peterson admitted that some products are closely linked to the core interests of some countries which "can not make huge changes overnight," as he put it.

He said that one reason for hindrance element in the progress of pushing forward multi-lateral trade is that every member has its own interest to promote.

To meet the tight schedule set by WTO members to conclude Doha negotiations, Peterson hoped the "first approximation"-- a preliminary framework -- could come out in upcoming July as agreed by all.

Peterson was pleased that China became a member of the WTO in 2001. "As a major player in international commerce, China is very critical to WTO and world commerce," said Peterson.

The ministers will seek to promote an ambitious and balanced outcome to the Doha Development Round talks in Dalian in the coming two days that will lead up to a successful WTO sixth ministerial conference to be held in Hong Kong of China in December 2005.

Source: Xinhua