The Director-General said:

“Kazakhstan is one of the newest members of the WTO, and has already become an active participant in the multilateral trading system. After undertaking extensive reforms during the membership process, the country is now seeking to integrate further into the global economy. I have been pleased to hear how the government is taking this work forward by improving its transport and logistics infrastructure, while also working to improve its soft infrastructure to ensure that the country is a good place to do business.

“The WTO will continue to support Kazakhstan as it pursues its economic goals, and seeks to join global trade flows. One important step here will be implementing some of the major reforms to the trading system that the WTO has agreed over the last two years — including the Trade Facilitation Agreement, which will reduce Kazakhstan’s trade costs by up to 15% and help to facilitate the flow of goods along the 'New Silk Road'. I was therefore delighted to receive the country's ratification of the Agreement from Prime Minister Karim Massimov earlier today.

“We can also support Kazakhstan by delivering more trade agreements in the future. The debate on how the WTO can keep delivering and precisely what issues should be discussed has already started — and I can’t overemphasize how important it could be. Kazakhstan has a chance to ensure that action is taken on the issues that matter most to the country.”

During his visit, the Director-General also met with senior government representatives and parliamentarians, and gave a speech at the Astana Economic Forum. The full speech is available here.