(AFP) Malaysia is determined that "extraneous" issues such as labour must be kept out of the agenda of the World Trade Organisation's new trade talks, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

Mahathir said a new round of talks in the WTO could perhaps be launched in two years' time only when the agenda was determined.

"Maybe in two years' time once the agenda for the trade talks is determined clearly, then there can be a new round," he told a press conference after opening a conference on terrorism at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur. "Our stand is that we are not against a new round of trade talks. We want to determine what is the agenda.

"We don't want people to bring in extraneous matters like child labour and things like that. That is not trade, that can be done in the ILO (International Labour Organisation). We want to talk about trade."

New rules

WTO ministers Wednesday endorsed new rules to negotiate a trade pact.

Members are to submit their negotiating positions and offers in the various sectors covered by the round next year, but actual negotiations would only begin in the following two years.

International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz on yesterday said Malaysia would be ready to negotiate four contentious issues as agreed upon in the WTO in two years' time.

The issues - investment, environment, competition policies and government procurement - were previously rejected by developing countries.