Industry Minister chairs Bahrain's delegation at WTO Ministerial Conference

Geneva, June 12 (BNA): Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, headed the delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain participating in the 12th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), held in Geneva from June 12 to 15, in the presence of Ambassador Dr. Yusuf AbdulKarim Bucheeri, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the UN, and Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade, Shaikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa. In a recorded speech by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, which was presented at the conference, the minister conveyed the greetings of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He Praised the efforts of the WTO Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iwala and welcomed the delegations participating in this conference. He wished the conference every success in achieving the desired goals, stressing the importance of the multilateral trading system and the support of the Kingdom of Bahrain to it. He pointed out its positive impact on overcoming the negative effects the pandemic imposed on the world economy, appreciating the key role of the WTO in this respect. The minister added that the Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes discussions related to e-commerce, digital economy and MSMEs as a prior condition to creating a fair and open trade environment, in light of the recognition of inclusive trade through the WTO as a catalyst for economic growth and poverty reduction. He pointed out the efforts being made to promote sustainable development through the UN Plan 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals accompanying it. He also stressed the importance of not putting obstacles to the movement of food commodities in the face of the global food security crisis. In the same context, the minister noted the Kingdom of Bahrain’s unwavering support for the Arab states currently negotiating their accession to the WTO and for granting the status of “observer” in the WTO to the Arab League. Moreover, A number of topics on the agenda of the meeting were discussed.