Internet debate on new round of WTO trade talks on April 5

RECORDER REPORT

..........KARACHI (March 30) : The European Commission (EC) has planned a debate on the internet on the "new round of WTO trade negotiations which the EC intends to re-launch this year "if the circumstances permit us to do so, irrespective of election cycles." ..........Pascal Lamy, European Trade Commissioner, has informed the Secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) that the debate would be held on Wednesday April 5, 2000 between 6 pm and 8 pm (Central European time). ..........Lamy will respond to questions, suggestions with the help of European Commission colleagues. Saarc Secretariat has informed all member countries that an export promotion meeting has been scheduled in Kathmandu on April 6 and 7, 2000. ..........The meeting will provide a forum to discuss and come to the point of agreements towards executing business opportunity and investment collaboration in various mutually beneficial sectors. ..........The Ministry of Commerce, Nepal has invited interested businessmen and investors from Saarc member-countries to attend this meeting. On this occasion Nepal Trade Fair is also being organised by the Trade Promotion Centre, Government of Nepal, at Birendra International Convention Centre, Kathmandu, on April 4-8, 2000. Lamy in a message sent to Nihal H. E. Rcdrigo, Saarc Secretary-General said: "We should be ready to try to launch a new trade round this year, if the circumstances permit us to do so, irrespective of election cycles." ..........He said he believes that there are shared interests in the world in launching a new round, particularly one that deals with the reality of globalising "economy, and we need to find a better way" of expressing that shared interest. "Any new round cannot just be about market access, but must overhaul how the WTO's rules work," he said. ..........Investment, competition, trade facilitation, labour issues, the environment, are all critical, if the WTO is to stay relevant and to reflect and respond to public opinion, developing countries must be more on board. ..........What direction should the trading system take? what are the right starting principles for real international economic governance? ..........The discussion will take place in four official languages of the European Union-- English, French, German and Spanish. Questions may be put in any one of those languages and may also be sent in advance. ..........Copyright 2000 Business Recorder (www.brecorder.com)

http://www.brecorder.com/story/S00DD/SDC30/SDC30239.htm

-- Jen Bunker (jen@bunkergroup.com), March 30, 2000