Informal WTO Ministerial Meeting to be held in Tokyo

November 26, 2002

1. The Government of Japan will hold an informal WTO ministerial meeting on the World Trade Organization in Tokyo around the middle of February next year.
   
   
2. More than 20 countries are expected to take part in the meeting, and Japan will send an official communication to the countries concerned.
   
   
3. The WTO Doha Development Agenda is an extremely important trade negotiation for the expansion of world trade and Japan's economic benefit. Japan will therefore hold this informal ministerial meeting with an intention to make the utmost contribution to the promotion of the overall negotiation process so that this WTO Doha Development Agenda will come to a successful conclusion by the agreed date of January 1, 2005.
   
   
4. Japan hopes that the meeting will lead to a positive step toward the solution of important problems by the direct involvement of ministers in the negotiations, as well as deepen mutual understanding of each member position which is needed for an agreement.

Related Information (Japan's Basic Strategy for the WTO New Round Negotiations)