Apr 15, 1998

SHUFFLING MINISTERIAL DATES

Geneva, 14 Apr (TWN) -- The dates for the WTO's second Ministerial Conference and the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the multilateral trading system were re-arranged by the General Council Tuesday, essentially to suit the conveniences of the US and EU leaders.

According to the original plan set some weeks ago, the Ministerial meeting was to have been held on the 18th and 19th of May, while the 20th was to have been devoted to the commemoration of 50 years of the multilateral trading system.

But at a General Council meeting Tuesday, the Canadian Chairman of the Council, Amb. John Weekes proposed a reshuffling of the dates, which the Council approved. 

Under the new schedule, the commemoration meeting would be held on the 19th of May, while the Ministerial meetings will be held on the 18th and the 20th.

Weekes explained that the Commemoration meeting was being advanced in order to accommodate several heads of states/governments who said they would be able to attend only on 19th.  

Until last month, the WTO had only two heads of governments as indicating their presence - those from Switzerland, the host country, and Singapore which hosted the last summit. But the chances of a Clinton visit appears to have brightened, and any visit by him is expected to bring some others too. Clinton would be in the UK for the G-7 summit, and would also be visiting Ireland, following the successful conclusion of the Northern Ireland talks.

Weekes also said that, because of the US-EU summit on 18th, US and EC trade ministers, including Mrs. Charlene Barshevsky, the USTR, and the EC trade Commissioner, Sir Leon Brittan, would be in Geneva only in the afternoon of the 18th. Nevertheless, the session would open in the morning with ceremonial opening and speeches including from the WTO head, General Council chair.