WTO members discuss way forward to resolve global trade issues

More than 21 WTO members, including China and the US, have expressed their readiness to engage constructively for a clearly defined work programme by July to address remaining Doha issues.
As many as 21 WTO members attended a ministerial-level meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meet here.
The Ministers discussed about the importance of achieving progress on global trade talks, especially in the areas of agriculture, industrial products and services.
In a statement, Swiss government today said the participants at the meeting talked about the need of achieving progress on the 'Doha Development Agenda' issues that had remained unsolved at the Bali Ministerial Conference in December 2013.

The main issues that were discussed pertain to areas of agriculture, industrial products and services.
"Ministers underlined their readiness to engage constructively towards a realistic and clearly defined 'work programme' by July, framing the negotiations on the remaining Doha issues," the statement said.

At the invitation of Federal Councillor Johann N Schneider-Ammann, ministers in charge of WTO affairs and WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo met here today.
The informal gathering was to discuss the negotiating agenda for 2015 in view of a conclusion of the Doha Round.
The US, China, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa and Indonesia, among other members participated in the meeting.