JAKARTA (ANTARA) – At the 30th APEC Trade Ministers’ Meeting in Peru on Friday (May 17), Indonesian Trade Minister Zulkifli Hassan called on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to pursue a more inclusive, sustainable and fair trade ecosystem.
„APEC must promote the spirit of inclusiveness, sustainability and justice while endorsing sustainable development to create a mutually beneficial trading ecosystem,” he said, quoting from a press release issued by his office on Saturday.
Hasan opined that multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core would be relevant to the world’s journey towards sustainable development amid global economic uncertainties and political relations.
Hassan urged APEC trade ministers to support the WTO’s relevance by demonstrating commitment to the Abu Dhabi Packages, which were agreed during the 13th WTO Ministerial Meeting in the United Arab Emirates last March.
„As APEC Trade Ministers, we must make the most of the momentum created by the WTO meeting to express political commitment to intensify discussion on the package and other outstanding issues,” he pointed out.
The Indonesian minister underlined the need for APEC to ensure that the two-tier dispute settlement system functions optimally this year in an effort to rebuild the international community’s trust in the WTO.
Touching on e-commerce, Hasan said Indonesia believes that flexible policies are important to meet the needs of developing and least developing economies in digital trade discussions.
The minister drew attention to the link between trade and the environment, urging APEC to echo the need to ensure that pro-environmental arrangements do not disrupt global trade.
He then emphasized the importance of the WTO taking into account, in all its agendas and discourses, special treatments, technical assistance and capacity-building measures dedicated to developing and least developing economies.
„I am confident that this meeting will yield useful results to resolve outstanding issues in the WTO,” he concluded.
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