WTO Reaffirms It Will Meet in Qatar
By JABER AL-HARMI, Associated Press Writer
DOHA, Qatar (AP) - A key meeting of trade ministers will go ahead in the Gulf state of Qatar next month despite security fears following the Sept. 11 terror attacks and U.S.-led strikes in Afghanistan (news - web sites), the World Trade Organization (news - web sites) said Monday.
The Nov. 9-13 gathering is supposed to be the launch pad for a new round of global trade liberalization talks. The start of talks has been on hold since the last WTO ministerial meeting collapsed in Seattle in 1999.
``It's true that there is doubt and uncertainty worldwide, but our plans are to push ahead to hold the meeting in Doha,'' WTO Director-General Mike Moore told reporters at the Qatari capital.
A WTO spokesman in Geneva said the session, which is supposed to gather trade ministers from most of the WTO's member countries, will be held in Doha ``unless something seismic or catastrophic happens.''
Moore said it was possible that representation at the meeting may be reduced. But, he said, ``participation must be at the highest level because it will help make the meeting a success.''
He said he could not confirm beyond doubt that the Qatar meeting will be held as scheduled, but said if it wasn't held there he would ``come back to Doha even if I'm alone.'' Moore met Qatari Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani in Doha.
The WTO meeting, which has been in preparation since the beginning of the year, had been in doubt in recent weeks because of fears about security following the terrorist attacks on the United States and the subsequent U.S. airstrikes on Afghanistan.
Leading WTO players have been expressing concern about security in Qatar. Several Arab countries have been hit by demonstrations since American forces began airstrikes on Oct. 7 to punish Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia for not handing over Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), the prime suspect in the attacks in the United States.
A spokesman for bin Laden's al-Qaida organization warned Westerners previously against remaining in the Gulf region, saying: ``the land will burn with fire under their feet, God willing.''
Reaction to the airstrikes has been muted in Qatar, and the country has stopped issuing visas to visitors until Nov. 15 to help keep out troublemakers.
But this did not allay security jitters about the meeting. Asked about the upcoming WTO meeting last week, European Union (news - web sites) Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said it was ``no secret'' that Qatar is ``in the vicinity of the war zone.''
Singapore has said it was prepared to host the meeting if it had to be moved.
The decision to move the meeting would have been a major blow to Qatar. The small but wealthy U.S. ally plans to open two new hotels to host some of the 4,500 visitors. It has expanded its airport, laid new asphalt on major roads and planted flowers across the capital.