Each LDC has its own area of interests, which it wants to pursue in the talks ahead, he said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star.

Free movement of natural persons is an important issue for Bangladesh, which may not be of as much importance to African LDCs, said Dr Ngasongwa, who attended the Second LDC Ministerial Meeting in Dhaka. "Our area of importance is subsidy on cotton, which is not important for Bangladesh at all."

"But every issue should be of concern to every member of the LDC forum. Only through a unified voice we can reach our goals," he said.

"If we all agree and reach a consensus to pursue such issues in a unified manner, only then we would be able to press our demands and have all the issues dealt with in the upcoming talks at Cancun in Mexico in September," he hoped.

Dr Ngasongwa, who chaired the LDCs' first ministerial conference in Zanzibar, expressed satisfaction with the two-day Dhaka official-level talks and the ministerial meeting that ended yesterday.

The meetings are good avenues for preparation, as they give a clear idea of complex issues, which will come up at the WTO (World Trade Organisation) negotiations, he said.

About the difference of opinion that surfaced in the official-level talks on Sunday, the Tanzanian minister said such differences only justify the reason for such meetings.

"This meeting is the perfect place for us (LDCs) to point out and resolve differences so that we can go to the negotiating table with a clear conception and unitedly pursue our issues," said Dr Ngasongwa.

The Tanzanian minister disagreed on a comment of the WTO deputy director general that the LDCs were not looking for long-term measures to increase their share in global trade and were pursuing quota and other concessions. The minister argued that the share of LDC trade has been declining over the last four decades.

Because of the LDCs' low economic development, the chances of further marginalisation within the global economy are too real to be ignored unless further measures are taken in their favour, said Dr Ngasongwa.

The multilateral trading system should address major concerns of the LDCs, he thinks. Pointing to the supply side constraints in respect of infrastructure, human resources and capacity of the LDC economies, the minister underscored predictable and easy market access for LDC products.

Deadlines for some Doha development agenda, including implementation of special and differential treatment, agriculture and public health, have not been met, which affected the LDCs, he said. "At the same time, we are under extreme pressure to start negotiations and assume new obligations on Singapore Issues."

The WTO agenda has to take into account LDC concerns, said the minister. "This, I believe, is the only way to have a sustainable multilateral trading system."