WTO conference to go ahead in Doha: WTO and Qatar
\nAFP
\nGeneva<\/p>\n
The World Trade Organization and Qatar repeated on Wednesday
\nthat a WTO ministerial meeting, a key step towards a new round of
\nworld trade talks, will go ahead as planned in Doha on Nov. 9-13.<\/p>\n
The director general of the WTO, Mike Moore, and Qatar Economy
\nand Finance Minister Yussef Hussain Kamal, expressed
\ndetermination that the talks would go ahead and Moore, answering
\na question about possible postponement, said: \"I don't think it
\nis worth speculating (about).\"<\/p>\n
The chairman of the WTO executive council, Stuart Harbinson
\nfrom Hong Kong, said that a draft ministerial statement for the
\nDoha conference and another document on application of the last
\n1987-1994 Uruguay Round of tariff-cutting agreements should be
\nready next week.<\/p>\n
Moore said: \"We need a round today more than ever to boost
\nconfidence in the global economy, in the multilateral trading
\nsystem and in international cooperation.\"<\/p>\n
Kamal declared: \"We can assure everyone that every measure
\nwill be taken to ensure a successful outcome at the fourth
\nministerial (conference).\"<\/p>\n
Some representatives from WTO countries have expressed concern
\nabout security if military operations are launched by Washington
\nand allied countries in Afghanistan in retaliation for attacks
\nin the United States.<\/p>\n
Some diplomatic sources had raised the possibility of moving
\nthe talks to another place but the WTO has insisted that the
\nconference is not threatened.<\/p>\n
The former vice prime minister of Thailand, Supachi
\nPanitchpakdi, who is to become the head of the WTO at the end of
\n2002, recently raised the possibility of postponing the
\nconference in the event of an international crisis, but said the
\nfinal decision rested with the 142 WTO members.<\/p>\n
The United States and European Union have said that they want
\nthe conference to go ahead as planned.<\/p>\n
Moore said that preparations were under way as planned and
\nthat logistical problems had almost been overcome.<\/p>\n
However, he added that some difficult decisions would have to
\nbe taken because \"some delegations want far too many people to
\ncome to Doha\".<\/p>\n
Qatar has offered 44,000 places and governmental delegations
\nhave sought a total of 32,000 places. The WTO, which must also
\nfind room for journalists and accredited non-governmental
\norganizations, wants to reduce this to 27,000, sources close to
\nthe organization said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/wto-conference-to-go-ahead-in-doha-wto-and-qatar-1447899208",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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