Nur-Sultan to host 12th WTO Ministerial Conference
Upon the visit of Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration, Bakhyt Sultanov, to Geneva, an agreement between the Kazakh Government and the World Trade Organization on the holding of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in the Kazakh capital was signed. The event is scheduled for 8-11 June 2020 in Nur-Sultan, primeminister.kz refers to the press service of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan.
WTO Director General Roberto Azevêdo congratulated Kazakhstan on being elected as chair of the 12th Ministerial Conference and reaffirmed the WTO's readiness for close cooperation in preparation for the global event in the field of international trade held by our country.
Minister Sultanov also met with the Ambassadors of key WTO member countries to discuss possible substantive outcomes of the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference. During the meeting, he noted that today the multilateral trading system is facing unprecedented challenges in the form of protectionism and unilateral trade measures. In this regard, the minister called on the countries to work actively together to make important decisions in 2020 in Nur-Sultan, which will allow the WTO to fully meet current challenges and needs.
It is expected that the main negotiating areas on the agenda of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference will be the reform of the WTO, new global rules in the field of regulation of services, investment promotion and electronic commerce, as well as negotiations on fisheries subsidies.
Kazakhstan is a supporter of the idea of reforming the WTO and adheres to the position that the reforms should provide uniform competitive conditions for international trade for all WTO member countries.
