World Trade Organization (WTO) General Director Pascal Lamy said Vietnam and other ASEAN countries would play an intermediary role in Doha negotiations, which if successful will help stimulate the global economy.
Mr. Lamy made the statement while receiving Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on January 25. The WTO general director added that he believed the Doha talks could wrap up quickly.
The Prime Minister and a Vietnamese delegation left for Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum on January 25, following an invitation from President Klaus Schwab. The PM also paid a working visit to the United Nations and WTO to strengthen the relationship between Vietnam and the two organizations.
At the meeting with Mr. Lamy, PM Dung said that as chair of ASEAN in 2010, Vietnam and other nations in the region expect the Doha negotiations to conclude soon with favorable conditions for the interest of developing and underdeveloped countries to ensure their growth targets.
Once the Doha negotiations conclude, it will help underdeveloped countries access markets in developed ones and reduce financial and administrative burdens on the developing world.
The Prime Minister said Vietnam’s strict commitment to the WTO has marked the country’s deep integration into international trading systems and major contributions as a WTO.member.
Thanking Mr. Lamy for helping Vietnam join the WTO, Mr. Dung said he hoped Vietnam would receive consideration for exemption from new Doha commitments as a newly joined nation.
Mr. Lamy said he highly valued Vietnam’s achievements over the past three years since accession to the WTO, especially in the area of economic, trading and foreign direct investment growth, despite the global financial crisis.
He added that he is ready to help Vietnam build a detailed roadmap for international integration but that Vietnam should also complete its statutory systems to meet WTO’s standards.
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