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The Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, will leave for Bhurban, Pakistan on Thursday (September 8) to attend a meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20).
At the two-day meeting, Mr Tsang will discuss the progress of the negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), including that of agriculture, with trade ministers of the G20.
The G20 ministers will consider their strategy for the DDA negotiations and the sixth World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference to be held in Hong Kong in December. It particularly aims at eliminating trade-distorting agricultural polices in developed countries and substantially improving market access for all products under the current round of multilateral negotiations.
The G20 is a coalition of developing countries formed ahead of the fifth WTO Ministerial Conference with the objective of seeking concessions from developed countries on agricultural issues. While named G20, the group is open for new members. The group currently comprises the following 21 members: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
Mr Tsang will return to Hong Kong on Sunday (September 11).
Ends/Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:01
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