Foreign Minister Brende with key role at WTO Ministerial Conference
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Published under: Solberg's Government
Publisher: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
News story | Date: 15/12/2015 | Last updated: 16/12/2015
Foreign Minister Børge Brende will play a key role during the 10th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Nairobi this week, in the finalisation of the ministerial declaration that will give guidance for the future work of the organisation.
The Ministerial Conference is being chaired by Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed of Kenya’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. She has asked Foreign Minister Brende to assist her in the work of finalising the ministerial declaration to be adopted at the conference.
‘I am very pleased that Ms Mohamed has asked me to fill this role, and appreciate the confidence she has shown in me. I am well aware that it is a challenging task. It is important for Norway that the WTO remains the key organisation for global trade,’ said Mr Brende.
Since the 9th Ministerial Conference in 2013, WTO members have worked to complete the Doha round (Doha Development Agenda). WTO negotiations have not made as much progress as hoped for in recent years. Negotiations in Nairobi will therefore focus on only part of the mandate for the Doha round, as well as the ministerial declaration that will indicate the direction for future work in the organisation. It is this declaration Foreign Minister Brende has been asked to play a key role in finalising.