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The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, will visit key developing World Trade Organization (WTO) members in the Caribbean starting on Monday (October 31) to discuss issues crucial to the success of the Sixth Ministerial Conference (MC6).
The visit, conducted some 40 days before the MC6, aims to appeal for more political will among trade ministers to make the Hong Kong Ministerial Meeting a significant milestone to the successful conclusion of the Doha Development Agenda.
Mr Tsang will be calling on the trade ministers of the Caribbean countries, Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica, and they will exchange views on how best to prepare for the Hong Kong conference.
"In about six weeks, the whole WTO membership needs to flesh out the framework agreed in July 2004 on agriculture and non-agricultural market access, define the level of ambition for the services negotiations, agree on the next concrete steps for the rules negotiations, and properly reflect the development perspective in the outcome to all these negotiations.
"This is no easy task, but all WTO Members will have to ensure that it is accomplished," Mr Tsang said, adding that a successful MC6 will be beneficial to the global economy, in particular the developing countries.
Mr Tsang will return to Hong Kong on November 6.
Ends/Friday, October 28, 2005
Issued at HKT 14:01
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