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2/22/24, 2:44 PM Al Zeyoudi addresses WTO General Council ahead of MC13 – The Gulf Time Newspaper
Al Zeyoudi addresses WTO General Council

ahead of MC13

GENEVA / WAM

Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, participated in the General Council of

the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva on Wednesday, the final meeting before the upcoming 13th
Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi of which he is Chair.

The General Council, the highest decision-making body of the WTO outside of the Ministerial Conference,
offered ambassadors and permanent representatives a last opportunity to formally negotiate on the major
issues ahead of MC13.

Dr Al Zeyoudi commended the delegates on their hard work to date, and encouraged them to demonstrate
the same flexibility and consensus in the run up to MC13, which takes place in the UAE capital between

February 26-29.
He remarked, “The 13th Ministerial Conference is an important opportunity to review and refine the rules of
international trade and ensure that supply chains remain open, agile and resilient. It is important that we

come
together, think creatively and collaboratively, and work to reconcile our national positions with the long-term

promise of a sustainable and inclusive global trading system.”
Statements at the General Council revealed that while all delegations shared a commitment to the rules-
based trading system, there were still a number of gaps between nations that will need to be bridged ahead

of MC13. Acknowledging these differences and the hard work required to achieve consensus against a
backdrop of broader tensions in international trade, His Excellency expressed his hope that delegations will

continue to seek out areas of agreement and common ground. He stressed that the upcoming Ministerial

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