"We are pleased that all the central elements that we need in order to make progress in achieving real tariff reductions in Norway’s most important fish export markets are in place for the negotiations after the Cancún Ministerial," says Thorhild Widvey, State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking at the Sjømat og verdiskaping [Seafood and value added] conference in Bergen today, Ms. Widvey told the latest news from the WTO negotiations in the runup to the Fifth WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Cancún, Mexico, from 10 to 14 September. She noted that improved market access for Norwegian seafood is one of Norway’s main goals in these negotiations, and that the Government is working hard to get results in areas that are important to the Norwegian fishing and aquaculture industries.

In a direct comment to the draft declaration to be adopted at the Cancún Ministerial, Ms. Widvey said that the proposal now on the table provides an acceptable basis for the negotiations that will take place after Cancún. However, she did not hide the fact that she would have liked the proposal to be both more ambitious and more specific with respect to improved market access for industrial products that include seafood. Still, she was not surprised that the document was not more specific than it was at this stage.

Ms. Widvey pointed out that the main task of the Cancún Ministerial will be to take stock of progress in a round of negotiations that is scheduled to be wound up next year. She stated that the Government will continue its efforts to achieve the best possible results for Norwegian businesses. She also underscored how vital the WTO system was for Norway, and that it was therefore important for Norway to do what it can to assure the success of the negotiations.