Arab News Headlines

H.E. Minister of Commerce and Industry participates in Arab Trade Ministers preparatory meeting for WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference

His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al-Abdullah Al-Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, participated in the preparatory meeting of the Trade Ministers of the Arab countries, which is hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via video conferencing, as part of preparations for participation in the 12th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference, taking place from November 30 until December 3, 2021, in Geneva, Switzerland.

Officials discussed topics on the meeting’s agenda related to the preparation for participation in the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference. The topics included the organization’s response to the corona pandemic, multilateral negotiations, including fishery and agriculture negotiations, as well as special and preferential treatment rights for developing countries and LDCs. Officials also touched on ways to accelerate and facilitate admitting Arab countries into the WTO, reforming it, granting the League of Arab States and the State of Palestine an observer status therein, and introducing the Arabic language as a WTO official language.

The preparatory meeting aims to coordinate positions and come up with a unified ministerial statement that serves the interests and concerns of Arab countries within the framework of the WTO, especially issues of common Arab interest.

Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry