London: A high-level Commonwealth Trade Ministers' mission has said that it was confident that despite the Cancun WTO (World Trade Organisation) disaster, the Doha round of trade talks are likely to be resumed this year following positive signals from major global players on trade.

"In their meetings with political leaders and officials with the capacity to make or break the Doha round of trade talks, Commonwealth Trade Ministers detected a genuine commitment to a rules-based multilateral trading system and a willingness to reinvigorate the negotiations that stalled in Cancun," Commonwealth secretary general Don McKinnon said.

"There was general agreement that 2004 should not be a lost year and that all parties should engage positively to build on the gathering momentum," he said after a nine-day visit of the mission to Geneva, Tokyo, Washington and Brussels.

The Ministers were also encouraged that all the leading players they met on their mission attached priority to delivering on the Doha Development Agenda.

"There was recognition that a breakthrough on agriculture was crucial for the successful conclusion of the round. The EU (European Union), Japan and the US also recognised the importance of non-agricultural market access and special and differential treatment for developing countries," McKinnon said.

The mission, headed by Alhaji Idris Wazir, Commerce Minister of Nigeria, was convened at the request of Commonwealth Heads of Government who met in Abuja, Nigeria in December last year.