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WTO says Qatar meeting to go ahead despite attacks

The World Trade Organisation said on Monday that a ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar, would go ahead as planned on November 9-13 despite the recent attacks on the United States.

"At this time, the indication is that we will be going ahead in Doha," Keith Rockwell, WTO spokesman, told reporters.

Following the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, some diplomats said they believed the meeting in the capital of Qatar might be moved or postponed, especially if the United States launched military strikes in the region.

A range of international events, including this week's International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in the United States, have been cancelled or postponed since hijackers crashed planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Rockwell said no member of the 142-nation organisation had formally made a request for the Doha meeting to be moved or postponed.

EU and U.S. trade chiefs have already said the Doha meeting should go ahead as planned. The EU and the United States hope to launch a new trade round at the meeting.

The Attack on America: The Complete Coverage

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