Pakistan urges WTO to promote multilateral trade regime

DAVOS, January 28: Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan has urged member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to ensure speedy implementation of pending decisions to promote multilateral trade regime.
Speaking at a WTO mini-ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the minister said, “It is important for credibility of multilateral trade system that we focus on implementation.”
The meeting was hosted by the Swiss government. The meeting set the future agenda for the WTO. Only 25 out of the 164 WTO members were invited to the select gathering. Pakistan was the only participant from South Asia as India, though invited, was not present.
Other participants included: USA, EU, Argentina, Canada, Turkey, Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, Russia, Norway, Australia, Mexico, South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Kenya, Indonesia and Costa Rica.
Pakistan was invited for the first time since 2007. Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan informed the participants that the real challenge was implementation of pending decisions. “We have pending agenda of Bali ministerial, particularly Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), and now we have to ensure speedy and immaculate implementation of Nairobi ministerial decisions,” the Minister said. – DNA