Latvian delegation to participate in WTO 5^th Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico

From 10 to 14 September 2003, a Latvian delegation headed by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins will participate in the WTO 5th Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico. The delegation includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Economy, and Ministry of Agriculture. WTO Ministerial Conference is held once in every two years.

The Cancun WTO Ministerial Conference bears a particular significance with respect to multilateral trade discussions, as it is the final ministerial conference before the end of the talks scheduled for 1 January 2005. At the Conference, important decisions are due to be passed on further liberalisation of international trade and elaboration of new trade regulations. The issues to be decided at the Conference that are of particular concern to the Latvian delegation are a further reduction of the import duty for both agricultural and industrial goods and subsidies in the agricultural and fisheries sector. Given Latvia's prospective membership of the EU as of 1 May 2004, the above reductions to be agreed upon during the discussions will be applied to the EU external tariff and to EU subsidies.

Similar to previous WTO ministerial conferences, the main focus was on issues related to the liberalisation of the agricultural market and in particular on the CAP reform approved at the EU Agricultural Council on 25-26 June 2003. Most part of WTO member states, particularly the major agricultural production exporters (Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina) want to see a more rapid development of the CAP reform as stipulated by the EU document adopted this June.

The decision-making at the Conference will also largely concern issues related to the integration of the developing countries into the world trading system. It is expected that the Conference will be set on a positive course following the WTO decision of 30 August on intellectual property rights and public health, which provides an opportunity for the developing countries to receive cheaper medicine to combat heavy epidemic illnesses such as AIDS and tuberculosis.

Furthermore, it is scheduled to adopt decisions on the liberalisation of industrial goods; promotion of investments, competition, transparency of public procurement and trade; protection of geographical indications; and on trade and environmental issues. Specification of regulations on antidumping and industrial and fisheries subsidies are also on the agenda of the Conference.

(end of text)