Press Releases
Courtesy call on State Minister Mr. FUJII Hisayuki by Ms. Angela Ellard, Deputy Director-General of the WTO
March 11, 2025
On March 10, Mr. FUJII Hisayuki, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, received a courtesy call from Ms. Angela Ellard, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), who is visiting Japan at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The summary is as follows.
- At the outset, State Minister Fujii welcomed Ms. Ellard's visit to Japan, stating that this year marks the 70th anniversary of Japan's accession to the GATT and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the WTO, and that the multilateral trading system with the GATT and WTO at its core has supported Japan's postwar economic development and that of the world.
- In response, Deputy Director-General Ellard, emphasized the importance and value of the WTO in global trade, and expressed her desire to continue to work with Japan to resolve the challenges facing the WTO, including much-needed reform of the organization.
- The two sides also confirmed their commitment to further cooperate in efforts to maintain and strengthen the WTO system, including WTO reform, in the current difficult situation of global trade.