Developing members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Thursday voiced their concerns at the organization's ongoing ministerial meeting as WTO's 149 members tried to break impasse over the Doha Round trade talks.

In their speeches, the least-developed countries (LDCs) urged the developed countries to honor their commitments to market access.

Altaf Hossain Choudhury, Bangladeshi commerce minister, said his country, as well as other LDCs, called for duty-free and quota-free access to the developed countries' market in a "secure and predictable manner" for all their products.

"It is now the time to translate these promises into action," he said.

The minister also said he hoped to "seek a regime to facilitate the movement of temporary service providers from the LDCs at the conference."

Mongolia, a landlocked country, emphasized the vital importance of trade facilitation in improving its competitiveness.

"Removing trade facilitation obstacles could reduce exporters' costs by up to 30 percent especially in landlocked countries like our own," said Mongolian Trade Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold.

He also called on all its trading partners to abolish any non-tariff barriers against the WTO rules.

As a recently acceded member (RAM), Croatia demanded a differential treatment to the country in the process of the Doha Round trade talks.

"We believe the special situation of Croatia and other RAMs would be fully taken into account in all areas of negotiations," said Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Damir Polancec.

On agriculture, he said like in most other economies, the agricultural sector is the most sensitive one for Croatia.

"The modalities in the areas of agricultural market access should include specific provisions for the RAMs, providing for a grace period after the entry into force of this round results," the Croatian official said.

The Hong Kong meeting marked a new bid to advance the stalled Doha Round talks, which aim to lift barriers to trade and reduce poverty in developing countries.

The Doha Round, launched in the Qatari capital in 2001, has bogged down in a deadlock over farm subsidies, which developing countries said have prevented them from competing effectively in the global market.

Tongo, a Pacific island country, became the 150th member of the WTO after signing a protocol on Thursday.

"The membership will speed up Tonga's modernization drive," said WTO chief Pascal Lamy, who signed the protocol with Tonga's Minister of Labor, Commerce and Industries Fred Vaka'uta Sevele.

Source: Xinhua