World Trade Organization (WTO)

May 22, 2017
Japanese
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)

On May 22, commencing at around 2:05p.m., for approximately 25 minutes, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), who is visiting Japan, at the Prime Minister’s Office. The overview is as follows (Attending on the WTO side was Ms. Jung, Advisor, Office of the Director-General. Attending on the Japan side was Mr. Koichi Hagiuda, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, among others). Joint Statement between Japan and the World Trade Organization “Three Cornerstones for the Promotion of Free Trade” was released today (English (PDF)Open a New Window / Japanese (PDF)Open a New Window).

1. At the beginning, welcoming the visit of Director-General Azevêdo to Japan, Prime Minister Abe expressed that while the world is witnessing the rise of protectionism, Japan, as a champion of free trade, was determined to continually promote free trade, based on the Joint Statement that was released today.

In response, Director-General Azevêdo, expressing his appreciation for Japan’s leadership and supports, stated that not much time is left before the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in December, and reaffirmed its commitment to further intensify cooperation with Japan towards the Conference.

2. Prime Minister Abe underlined the importance of focusing on a free and fair rules-based trade, achievement of an inclusive growth, and further reinforcement of the multilateral trading system including enforcement of the WTO Agreements, and expressed his hope for the greater role of the WTO to this end.

In response, Director-General Azevêdo expressed his determination that the WTO will continue to cooperate with Japan to that end.

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