DG Okonjo-Iweala welcomes President Assoumani of Comoros to the WTO

DG Okonjo-Iweala welcomes President Assoumani of Comoros to the WTO

Source: WTO

June 13, 2024

Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala met with the President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani, on 12 June at the WTO. The President announced that his country had taken the first step to ratify its imminent WTO membership, which was approved at the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi in February. Both leaders subsequently discussed next steps for the entry of Comoros into the WTO.

President Assoumani and DG Okonjo-Iweala agreed that capacity building support from the WTO and development partners, such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the UN Trade and Development agency (UNCTAD), is key to ensure a successful post-accession strategy. They said that the upcoming WTO Global Review of Aid for Trade on 26-28 June is a good opportunity to engage with these and other institutional partners in preparing Comoros for WTO membership.

Both leaders reiterated the important role that trade and the WTO play in developing and expanding the economic base and export potential of Comoros, particularly in sectors such as tourism, finance and digitalisation. Regional cooperation and integration, including through the African Continental Free Trade Area, was highlighted as another key element for further economic diversification.

The Comoros Accession Working Party was established on 9 October 2007. Members of the Working Party concluded the negotiations on 9 January 2024 and the accession was approved on 26 February 2024 during MC13.