Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) adopted the ASEAN Statement on the World Trade Organization to express their support for the resumption of the Doha Round.

The Heads of State/Government of ASEAN member countries attending the 12th ASEAN Summit described the summit "very constructive" in the Chairperson's Statement of the 12th ASEAN Summit entitled "One Caring and Sharing Community" released here Sunday.

ASEAN leaders "took note of the message from WTO Director General Pascal Lamy on the status of the negotiations on the WTO talks and the Doha Development Round and support for the resumption of the Doha Round, the statement said.

The leaders also welcomed Vietnam's accession to the WTO and reiterated their support for Lao's intention to become the 150th WTO member.

The Doha round of trade talks was suspended on July 24, 2006 after the negotiations of the ministers from the so-called G-6, namely, the European Union, United States, Australia, Brazil, India and Japan, collapsed over disagreements on farm subsidies and tariffs.

Source: Xinhua