Lamy urges Arab region to “prioritize” Doha talks

My message to you today is this: because international trade is so vital to your economies, the WTO must also be vital to you. A strong, coordinated and active Arab group in the WTO would no doubt help advance some of your economic priorities. The WTO Doha Round of trade negotiations, launched in 2001 in the capital city of Qatar, is still under way. It includes many areas of economic importance to the Arab region, such as energy services, transportation and distribution services, and negotiations on trade facilitation to do with the reduction of customs red tape, to mention but a few. I would ask that the Arab region prioritize these negotiations, and prioritize the formation of a strong Arab coalition on trade to vigorously pursue its interests through the multilateral platform that is the WTO.

WTO | News - speech - DG Pascal Lamy - Lamy urges Arab region to “prioritize” Doha talks