The Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Shigeru Ishiba, issued a strong joint call to the international community to strengthen the multilateral trading system and advance a substantial reform of the governing body of the global trade.
In an official statement released after the meeting, both leaders highlighted the growing pressures that threaten the stability of the international trade, including increased trade frictions and the dangers of global economic fragmentation.
Okonjo-Iweala and Ishiba agreed that, in a global context marked by uncertainty and disruption, the relevance of the multilateral trading system remains undeniable. They reaffirmed their mutual commitment to working closely with other WTO members to address current and future tensions in global trade, consolidate the multilateral trade architecture, and advance meaningful WTO reform.
During the talks, the importance of free, open and predictable trade as a fundamental driver for economic growth and strengthening the multilateral system, with the WTO playing a central role, was a recurring and high-priority issue.
In addition to his meeting with the Prime Minister Ishiba, Director-General Okonjo-Iweala also held meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Takeshi Iwaya; the Minister of Finance, Katsunobu Kato; and the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yoji Muto, as part of his visit to the Japanese capital.
Following her stay in Japan, the WTO Director-General is expected to travel to the Republic of Korea to participate in a trade ministerial meeting within the framework of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), which will take place in Jeju on May 15 and 16. This trip underlines the continuity of DG Okonjo-Iweala's efforts to foster international trade cooperation in the region. Pacific Asia and at a global level.
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