TOKYO (AFP) - President Gloria Arroyo on Thursday pinned the blame on rich countries for stalling the Doha round of WTO negotiations but said developing nations still hoped for a deal.
Addressing an economic forum in Tokyo, Arroyo said her nation will continue to sign free-trade pacts so that the rapidly expanding Philippine economy will enjoy mature, sustainable growth.
"We hope the Doha round is successful because it was designed to be the round that would focus on development, to be the round to bring the benefits of the global trading system to less developed nations," she said.
"On this road to globalization, the developed nations have let many of less developed nations down," Arroyo said.