Meeting between Foreign Minister Taro Kono and WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo (24 April 2018)

On Tuesday 24 April, during a visit to Geneva, Switzerland, Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Taro Kono, met with World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevêdo. Relevant officials of both sides including Ambassador Junichi Ihara attended the meeting.

1. Foreign Minister Kono mentioned the importance of maintaining and promoting free and open trade based on the rules in face of the difficult situation surrounding international trade, particularly at the present time when the multilateral trading system is being tested. He expressed Japan’s firm resolve to lead the multilateral trading system as a standard-bearer of free trade through addressing today’s challenges including e-commerce in close collaboration with the WTO.

2. Director-General Azevêdo said that he appreciates Japan’s leadership in the field of e-commerce among other areas and also expressed his intention for the WTO to further increase collaboration with Japan to maintain and strengthen the multilateral trading system in response to current challenges to global trade.