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> Ambassador
W. Lewalter of Germany and the Director General signed an amendment to
the existing memorandum of understanding
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German Ambassador Walter Lewalter and WTO Director General Supachai
Panitchpakdi met the same day to sign an amendment of the existing
memorandum of understanding between Germany and the WTO.
“With
this contribution, we would like to continue and to enhance our
support for the Doha Development Agenda,” Ambassador Lewalter said.
“Pledging a donation covering the years until 2006 will help the WTO
Secretariat to establish long-term planning and can contribute to
build up efficient structures of technical cooperation. Trade-related
capacity building is, in the view of Germany, an effective means for
economic progress of developing countries. As far as this support is
delivered in the framework of the WTO Doha Development Global Trust
Fund, we will pay, due to annual commitments, for instance this year a
bit more than EUR 1 million and EUR 915.000 next year”.
“I
thank Germany once again for its great generosity,” said
Director-General Supachai Panitchpakdi. “The Doha Trust Fund is
essential to ensure that developing countries have adequate means to
build their capacity to participate actively in the new round of
negotiations. Contributions like Germany’s help us ensure a
predictable and high quality trade-related technical assistance.
Developing country participation in the Doha Development Round is
crucial because the potential benefits of the Doha Round are enormous,
especially in areas of particular interest to these countries”.
The
Doha Development Agenda Global Trust Fund was created following the
WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, in November 2001, which launched a
new round of negotiations.
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