OSAKA -- Senior trade negotiators from 32 Asian countries gathered here Wednesday for a three-day conference to discuss ways to restart the World Trade Organization's Doha Round of negotiations.
The conference is supported by the Asian Development Bank and all participants are members of the ADB. They include 22 WTO members and 10 WTO applicants.
Issues to be discussed include specific trade sectors such as agriculture and textiles, as well as dispute settlement issues among WTO members.
Discussion will also focus on the approach taken toward the Doha Round by the world's three main economic players: the United States, Japan and the European Union.
The Doha Round collapsed at Cancun, Mexico, in September due to opposition among developing countries over trade liberalization of markets such as agriculture.