"We have done necessary groundwork for the meeting," he said while addressing a seminar organised by Bangladesh Foreign Trade Institute (BFTI) in Dhaka on the eve of the Cancun ministerial.

Khosru, who was the keynote speaker, discussed the background and different other issues related to the fifth WTO ministerial, which he said, will be nothing of final nature but a mid-term review of Doha ministerial on the status of negotiations.

The commerce minister also expressed disappointment over the non-implementation of issues in favour of LDCs as pledged during different WTO ministerial meetings.

Khosru, also a vice-chairman of the ministerial and co-ordinator of least developed countries (LDCs), told the seminar the LDCs should speak in one voice in the conference to make negotiations more effective and fruitful.

He said binding commitment on duty- and quota-free market access for all products from LDCs and temporary movement of natural persons will top the agenda.

Making the rules of origin realistic, simple and flexible to match the industrial capacity of LDCs will also figure the discussion.

Other issues to be discussed include exemption of the LDC exports from anti-dumping measures, and increase in technical and financial assistance to the LDCs for their development, strengthening and diversifying of production and export base.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud Ahmed and Commerce Secretary Suhel Ahmed were also present.

The law minister underlined the need for initiating a holistic approach of gathering sufficient knowledge by the people who will be negotiating at the table at WTO conference.

Those who will be negotiating should remember that their negotiations will affect almost three-fourth of the global population who are living in least developed countries, the law minister added.