VALLETTA, Nov 26: Commonwealth leaders were locked in discussions here Saturday on a “road map” to world trade for poor countries and achieving closer cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the leaders from 53 mostly former British colonies were facing a “packed schedule” for the duration of the closed-doors talks, which end on Sunday.

Discussions were largely focused on achieving closer cooperation on fighting terror, and with World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks looming in Hong Kong next month, “trade and where does the Doha Development round leave us.”

Aziz said governments must ensure that liberalisation of markets should be achieved gradually.

“We need to have a road map and a timetable, to transition from where we are to a more free and open market,” he told a news conference during a break in the talks.

“If the curtain falls overnight then countries will go into severe pain. And the Caribbean countries and the smaller states have made this point.”

“The advantage of discussing these at the Commonwealth level is that we flesh out our ideas, we understand each others’ position and perhaps try to prepare before we get into the Hong Kong round.”

On terrorism, Aziz said that while there was already a lot of cooperation between the states, including intelligence-sharing, leaders were trying to find a way to “institutionalise” such cooperation.

“We need to ponder the root causes of terrorism,” he said.

Leaders will also discuss the jailing of a presidential candidate in Uganda, and the growing problem of mass migration, which Aziz described as “a major human problem”.

“Migration as an issue has different points of view. There are those who feel we must allow movement in a relatively free way, and others who naturally have concerns. We will discuss it in the next 48 hours or so.”

The Pakistani prime minister, one of the few leaders to speak to the press about the leaders’ informal discussions, said the jailing of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Bisegye “has been discussed.”

Aziz declined to be drawn on the issue, saying it appeared “due process” had been observed in the case, in which Bisegye is charged with treason and rape.

In marked contrast, Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday the Bisegye’s arrest “is causing us a great deal of concern” and that he would discuss the matter with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni during the summit.

Museveni defended the arrest here and denounced “misinformation” surrounding the case.

A Commonwealth human rights forum said the arrest contributed to concerns that Uganda is an inappropriate choice as the planned venue for the next summit in 2007.

The leaders will also discuss a plea from President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigera for a “zero-tolerance” attitude to corruption.

Obasanjo called for all Commonwealth states to “sign, ratify and implement” the UN convention on corruption, which is due to come into force next month.

Nigeria’s view is that no member of the Commonwealth should remain outside the convention, a senior member of Abuja’s delegation said. —AFP