Kazakhstan chairs 12th WTO MC in Geneva

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM The 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO MC) kicked off in Geneva, Switzerland. Kazakhstan is the co-organizer and presiding country of this conference, Kazinform learned from the press office of the Ministry of Trade and Integration.

The Ministerial Conference is the highest governing body of the WTO which adopts decisions on all the issues arising from multilateral trade agreements. The ministers responsible for foreign trade among 164 member states gathered in Geneva to take decisions on the most acute issues of the global trade agenda.

First Deputy Chair of the Presidential Administration Timur Suleimenov presides in this key event on behalf of Kazakhstan.

The Kazakh delegation is led by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Trade and Integration Bakhyt Sultanov.

The election of Kazakhstan as the 12^th WTO Ministerial Conference presiding country proves its recognition as an important and authoritative player in international trade and as a key participant of important talks being held on the sidelines of the WTO.

In 2018, 164 member states of the WTO unanimously backed the holding of the 12^th Ministerial Conference in Nur-Sultan in 2020 summer. However, the event was postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic and it was decided to hold it at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva.

The conference participants will discuss a number of global trade related issues such as response to the Covid-19 pandemic, agriculture and settlement of the global food crisis, fisheries subsidies, reform of the WTO, further development of e-commerce etc.

The event is expected to be of paramount importance in the global trade policy, which will determine development of the entire global trade for the nearest 10 years.