Pacific Rim talks focus on North Korea

Trade ministers tried to keep the Pacific Rim summit focused on its economic agenda today as sideline discussions on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme threatened to steal the show in Vietnam.

The 21-nation Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) meeting is hoping to find ways to kick-start stalled World Trade Organisation talks, but with so many top officials in one place it is also a chance to meet face-to-face to discuss security issues that have risen in priority since the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States.