Press Releases
Working Lunch between Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Mr. Motome Takisawa, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs and Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General, WTO
On May 22, commencing at around 0:30 p.m. for approximately 60 minutes, Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Mr. Motome Takisawa, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, held a working lunch with Mr. Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), who is visiting Japan. The overview is as follows.
1. Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, welcoming the visit of Director-General Azevêdo WTO to Japan, stated that Japan, as a champion of free trade, was determined to continually promote free trade in collaboration with the WTO, as the core organization of the multilateral trading system.
In response, Director-General Azevêdo expressed his determination that the WTO will continue to fulfil its responsibility as the core organization for the multilateral trading system.
2. Mr. Fumio Kishida expressed his hope for the greater role of the WTO to this end. He also stressed the necessity of cooperation towards the success of the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference.
In response, Director-General Azevêdo expressed that the WTO will further intensify cooperation with Japan to achieve outcomes at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference.
