BUSAN, South Korea (AP) -- Pacific Rim Cabinet ministers on Wednesday acknowledged differences among participants in global trade talks ahead of a key World Trade Organization summit in Hong Kong, and said they would pursue initiatives to fight the spread of bird flu and global terrorism.

In a joint statement, ministers of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum said a successful meeting in Hong Kong next month was critical to the success of the so-called Doha round of trade talks, which they hoped can be completed by the end of 2006.

The statement acknowledged "considerable divergences" and said "a clear roadmap" must be established if the Doha round is to succeed. Breaking a deadlock in the WTO over subsidies in the heavily protected farming sectors of Europe and some other developed countries has become a key focus of the trade talks.

In a draft of a separate statement being prepared on the issue of the WTO, ministers said that "significant progress must be made in Hong Kong."

"There is more at stake here than just another phase of economic liberalization," says the draft, a copy of which was seen by The Associated Press. "A successful conclusion of the Doha round is crucial for the future credibility of the WTO and the rules-based multilateral trading system."

U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman said Washington "has not given up hope" for movement at the negotiations.

"We don't believe the world community will let this once-in-a-generation opportunity slip past us," Portman said at a news conference.

"Clearly there are differences of opinion that will be hard to bridge in the next couple of weeks," he said. "But I do think we can bridge the differences by having APEC play a more central role in the talks."

In their broader statement, ministers endorsed the importance of anti-corruption measures, the free flow of investment and the simplification of customs procedures among APEC's 21 member economies, which include the United States, China, Russia and Japan.

Corruption "is one of the largest barriers to APEC's road to free trade, to increased economic development and to greater prosperity," the statement said.

"Ministers reiterated that terrorism was a serious threat to the security, stability and growth of the APEC region," it said. The statement said APEC should develop new initiatives to prevent terrorism, and expressed condolences for bereaved families who have lost loved ones in terrorist strikes.

It also noted with concern the threat posed by bird flu to the APEC region as well as the rest of the world.

The statement will be handed to APEC leaders for their approval when they meet on Friday and Saturday for their annual summit.

In remarks to the foreign and trade ministers' meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said success in global trade talks was vital.

"This achievement could launch the biggest reduction of poverty the world has ever seen -- helping hundreds of millions of people to lift themselves out of misery and need," Rice said. "We cannot let this hopeful opportunity pass."

Rice also urged ministers to unite to counter of terrorism and bird flu while helping foster greater prosperity by bolstering the rule of law and open trade. She singled out the threat of shoulder-fired ground-to-air missiles. The United States won agreement earlier from senior officials on a plan to test major airports in APEC member countries for whether they are protected against the devices.

Analysts and even some government officials say APEC, which has Russia as its only member from the European sphere, may lack the firepower to push through a conclusion of the current round of WTO talks, which are meant to focus on the improving poor nations' economies.

Many APEC members are exporting economies that stand to make big gains from greater access to highly protected markets in Europe and elsewhere. Europe's trade chief Peter Mandelson said recently the EU would make no new offer on agriculture ahead of the Dec. 13-15 Hong Kong meeting.

APEC, whose members include seven of the world's 13 largest economies, represents more than a third of the world's population, about 60 percent of the global economy and nearly half of world trade.