2024-07-12 15:41:15
After a long and complex process, which lasted more than 15 years, the Working Party on the Accession of Comoros to the WTO, chaired by the Permanent Representative of Morocco in Geneva, Ambassador Omar Zniber, held its 10th and final meeting, during which the final report was adopted, marking the last step of this process and the accession of Comoros to the Organization which will be formally ratified at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, scheduled for February 26-29, in Abu Dhabi.
The accession of the Comoros as a new member to the WTO, acquired through the mediation of Morocco, is the first to take place in eight years, knowing that currently, more than twenty countries have filed their applications for accession to this multilateral organization, accessions which require the adoption of important reforms at the administrative, legislative, economic and commercial levels, and this, with a view to adapting national standards to the standards and prerequisites of the WTO.
“The achievement of the accession of this brother country, which comes after commitments in difficult bilateral negotiations with major economic partners, such as the United States, the European Union and India, has a relevant significance, reflecting the importance of the integration of LDCs into the multilateral trading system and the usefulness of promoting international trade relations based on transparency, equity and inclusiveness,” said a press release from the Permanent Mission of Morocco.
“The involvement of our country and its unwavering commitment to this process is the expression and a mark of support for this brother country, which is counting, on the one hand, on such accession to strengthen the opening of its economy and use it as an instrument to accelerate current and future reforms, modernize and develop its economic fabric, and on the other hand as a pillar to support the plan +Emerging Comoros by 2030+”, adds the same source.
The outcome of this process is a new diplomatic success that once again illustrates Morocco’s leadership and its contribution to international organizations, host country of the signing of the Marrakech Agreements 30 years ago (GATT), and which continues its tireless efforts to focus the work of the WTO in favor of developing countries and LDCs, particularly in Africa.
This meeting, held in the presence of WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Comorian Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy Kamaldini Souef, was marked by a broad participation of WTO members and senior Comorian officials.
On this occasion, Mr. Zniber did not fail to congratulate the Comoros for this deserved accession, the fruit of tireless efforts made under the leadership of the President of the Republic Azali Assoumani and the effective support of the institutions and departments concerned by the accession file.
For her part, Ms Okonjo-Iweala stressed the importance of such membership in strengthening the WTO and its credibility, particularly vis-à-vis LDCs, Africa and the Organization’s development agenda.
2024-07-12 15:41:15