Bush pledges final hard push for Doha round

(Reuters) - The United States will work hard in coming weeks to forge a breakthrough that sets the stage for a successful conclusion of the 7-year-old Doha round of world trade talks, U.S. President George W. Bush said Saturday.

"I recognize that I'm leaving office in two months but nevertheless this administration will push hard to put the modalities in place so that Doha can be completed and so we send a message we refuse to accept protectionism in the 21st century," Bush said in a speech at a summit with other leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

The Group of 20 developed and developing country leaders meeting last week in Washington "expressed solidarity with the idea of completing Doha, and now we've got to put those words into action," Bush said.

Bush used his final appearance at a international summit to preach a message of "free markets, free trade and free people" to help restore world economic health in the midst of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.

He welcomed Peru and Australia's decision to join the United States, Singapore, Chile and Brunei in negotiating a regional free trade trade pact, and lashed out at Congress for failing to approve three free trade agreements with Colombia, South Korea and Panama before adjourning this week.