Minister of Trade Participates in Arab Trade Ministers’ Preparatory Meeting

On March 12, via videoconference, , Ms. Zinebou Mint Ehmednah, Minister of Trade and Tourism, participated in a meeting of Arab trade ministers to prepare for the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In her remarks, the Minister stated that the meeting took place in a delicate regional and international context, where the need for increased coordination and balanced collective approaches that safeguard the interests of Arab countries and people and promote dialogue, cooperation, and integration was becoming increasingly apparent.

She stated that Mauritania insisted on the need to facilitate the movement of goods, services, and investments, as well as the development of economic and trade cooperation mechanisms that serve the interests of Arab countries and meet the aspirations of their people, while supporting initiatives likely to strengthen intra-Arab trade.

The Minister also indicated that Mauritania had ratified the WTO’s agreement on fisheries support, at a time when it was necessary to reach a fair agreement enabling developing countries to obtain their rights and fully benefit from it.

Ms. Zinebou Mint Ehmednah reaffirmed Mauritania’s support for the request by the League of Arab States and Palestine to obtain observer status at WTO ministerial conferences, councils, bodies, and committees.

Finally, the Minister requested that Arabic be recognized as one of the official working languages ​​of the WTO, as is the case within the United Nations.