Japan, WTO leaders call for cooperation

TOKYO, May 13 (KUNA) - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala confirmed Tuesday that member countries now should regain the WTO's centripetal force by uniting and addressing the challenges facing the WTO, the Japan's Foreign Ministry said.
During their meeting in Tokyo, Ishiba said that amid rapidly escalating tensions surrounding international trade, the relevance of the multilateral trading system, with the WTO at the core, is increasing, according to a press release from the ministry.
In response, Okonjo-Iweala stressed the importance of cooperation among WTO members, the ministry said. She also expressed her expectation for the role of Japan as a "champion of the multilateral trading system" to maintain and strengthen the multilateral trading system, including the promotion of the WTO reform. (end) mk.rk