Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai said Tuesday that Japan is ready to accept a painful outcome from the difficult market-opening negotiations taking place in the World Trade Organization's Doha Round, hinting that Tokyo may make concessions in its heavily protected agricultural sector.

"We have to consider our national interests and our contributions to international society at the same time. To make contributions, we have to deal with the situation and be prepared to accept considerable pains," Nikai said at a news conference.

With the clock ticking before a crucial WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong slated for Dec. 13 to 18, Nikai said Japan should keep in mind "overall national interests to promote our economy" during the multilateral trade negotiations.

Nikai, who attended informal WTO ministerial talks in Geneva last week with Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Shoichi Nakagawa, attended a meeting of ministers involved in the WTO negotiations in the morning organized by Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe to coordinate Japan's policy ahead of the WTO talks.

In response to a question about Japan's agricultural stance, Abe said he urged Nikai, Nakagawa, Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki at the morning meeting to "exert leadership based on a basic idea that Japan should make its economy open outward."

The top government spokesman also said the ministers confirmed the importance of jointly pursuing national interests at the WTO talks.

Meanwhile, the trade minister told the news conference that he proposed during the Geneva talks that the 15 countries looking for stricter rules on adopting antidumping measures hold a meeting next week in Hong Kong.

The 15 countries include Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Chile and Norway. Antidumping negotiations are on the agenda of the Doha Round negotiations.