(Adds quotes and background) SYDNEY, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Leaders of the 21-member Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on Sunday urged a speedy resolution to the stalled Doha round of world trade talks. Australian Prime Minister John Howard said the call was included in the final declaration at the end of a two-day meeting of APEC leaders that included Russia, the United States and China. The leaders' declaration included a "statement of very strong support for the Doha round and an urgent request for all countries involved in the Doha process to renew their efforts to achieve an outcome, emphasising that agriculture and industrial products are the two priority areas," he said. Howard said the leaders also agreed to strengthen regional economic integration and would further explore the possibility of a Free Trade Area for the Asia-Pacific. They would also take measures to improve the business environment and human security. In a separate statement on trade, APEC leaders were expected to pledge "the political will, flexibility and ambition to ensure that the Doha round negotiations enter their final phase this year". APEC leaders earlier agreed to adopt a "long-term aspirational goal" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The declaration was seen as a compromise between rich and poor APEC economies, which together account for about 60 percent of the world's economy, but has been criticised by environmental groups for an absence of enforceable targets. U.S. President George W. Bush attended the meeting but left a day early to prepare for a report on Iraq.
