Conclusion of Bilateral Negotiations between the Republic of the Sudan and Japan on the Accession of Sudan to the WTO

On 11 April, at the Mission of Japan in Geneva, H.E. Ambassador Junichi IHARA on behalf of the Government of Japan and H.E. Ambassador Mustafa Osman Ismail ELAMIN on behalf of the Government of the Republic of the Sudan signed the documents indicating the conclusion of the bilateral negotiations on the accession of Sudan to the WTO.

The accession process of Sudan to the WTO began in 1994. Since then, negotiations in both multilateral and bilateral levels have been carried out. Mr. Ryosuke KUWANA, a deputy permanent representative of the Mission, has served as the Chair of the Working Party on accession of Sudan since July 2016. In addition, the Government of Japan made contribution to the International Trade Centre (ITC) in order to assist Sudan’s accession process.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Ihara stated that Sudan was an important country belonging to both Africa and the Arab world, thus its accession to the WTO would contribute not only to Sudan’s economic and social growth but also to the multilateral trading system. He also expressed his hope that the conclusion of bilateral negotiations with Japan would strengthen the momentum of the process for Sudan’s early accession to the WTO.

Reference: WTO Accessions (WTO website)