Trade ministers from over 140 nations today gathered for five days of talks organised by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) amid tight security in Qatar.
The are seeking to begin fresh trade liberalisation that many say is needed to revive the stuttering world economy.
Fearful of attacks linked to its war on terrorism, the United States sent a helicopter ship and two other boats carrying 2,100 marines to off the Gulf peninsula.
The marines nearly outnumbered the 2,641 delegates attending the talks. Conference venues, hotels and other facilities were under heavy scrutiny with X-ray scanners and metal-detectors guarding entrances.
The meeting starts after sunset today, the Muslim day of prayer.
WTO officials said they were optimistic agreement could be reached on an agenda for talks despite a rich world-poor world divide and disagreements on issues ranging from farm subsidies to drug patents.
Rich countries' delegates who are pushing for a new trade round say it would boost the economy at a time when the world is teetering on the brink of recession following the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington.
There is also a desire to avoid a second failure to launch a round, following the breakdown of the previous, riot-scarred WTO conference in Seattle in 1999.
But some developing countries say they have seen little benefit from earlier trade liberalisation and are being pushed into new talks by industrial countries looking to expand their markets.