Kazakhstan ready to join WTO Initiatives in preparation for 12th Ministerial Conference

GENEVA. KAZINFORM Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Zhanar Aitzhanova, addressed its General Council and highlighted priority issues for the upcoming 12th Ministerial Conference, the Kazakh MFA’s press service reports.

Ambassador Aitzhanova confirmed Kazakhstan's support for two joint statements and initiatives of WTO Members such as response to the COVID-19 pandemic (Trade and Health) and lifting export restrictions on foodstuffs purchased for non-commercial humanitarian purposes by the UN World Food Programme.

Ensuring the WTO’s response to the pandemic is a priority issue at the upcoming Ministerial. In this regard, Kazakhstan attaches great importance to further discussions of relevant deliverables at the platform.

These WTO initiatives aim to remove unnecessary trade barriers for trade in medical goods necessary to combat the pandemic and facilitate the supply of critical humanitarian products provided by the UN to countries in need that are most affected by its consequences.

Currently, the initiative on response to the COVID-19 pandemic is supported by 25 WTO Members, and 54 WTO Members have joined the statement on the lifting of export restrictions on products purchased by the UN World Food Programme. At the same time, the number of countries supporting these initiatives is steadily growing.