ommerce ministers from 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping expressed "strong support" for efforts to resume stalled talks aimed at a more open world trade. Ending a two-day conference in this lakeside city in southern Chile, APEC forum ministers urged members of the World Trade Organisation to agree by next month "on the key issues that will provide a clear way forward" to the stalled talks, known as the Doha round of trade talks. The agreement, the ministers said, should include a framework for agriculture "that provides an ambitious approach to market access" and "substantial reductions of trade-distorting domestic support". That, they said, should include "a specific commitment to abolish all forms of export subsidies by a date certain". The complaint by developing nations over what they consider unfair agricultural subsidies totalling about $US300 billion ($A440 billion) paid by rich nations was at the centre of the impasse in the talks since a series of negotiations in September in Cancun, Mexico. The ministers also urged "a framework for non-agricultural market access... that is balanced and provides for real improvement in market access and addresses non-tariff barriers". The talks launched in Doha, Qatar, sought to benefit the developing nations, after the WTO failed to launch new talks at a meeting in Seattle that was punctuated by massive anti-globalisation protests. The meeting here was surrounded by tight security but only scattered protests by small group of Mapuche Indians took place. Police said one noise bomb went off and two others were deactivated during the night near the luxury hotel where the ministers gathered. Police General Gustavo Castro said one suspect, a 23-year-old student, was detained. APEC, formed in 1989, consists of Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. 06/06/04 http://seven.com.au/news/business/88154  (2004-6-6)