WT/MIN(24)/ST/28  
26 February  2024 
(24-1497) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Thirteenth Session  
Abu Dhabi, 26 -29 February 2024  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MRS RAZMENA CHEKIKJ -DUROVIKJ  
STATE SECRETARY AT THE MINISTRY OF ECONOMY  
NORTH MACEDONIA  
First, I would like to thank the Government of United Arab Emirates for chairing and hosting this 
Ministerial Conference. Also, I owe my thanks to the WTO Secretariat for its valuable assistance in 
preparing this event.  
I also, would like to welcome the accession of Timor -Leste and Comoro s to join this Organization 
and becoming full -fledged Members.  
North Macedonia attaches great importance to an open and ruled -base multilateral trading system 
and to assure good functioning of this system.  
In time of slow recovery of the global economic c rises, we faced in the past years, the core trade of 
rule setting and disciplines are everyday part of our nations.  
The new area of digital trade already bears a significant impact in all sectors of trade and demands 
a set of globally binding rules. It is  a challenge of the modern economy and we should strengthen 
transparency and policy dialogue in WTO to this.  
North Macedonia welcomes the adoption of various decisions and statements at this Ministerial 
Conference, related to our willingness to continue o ur work on supporting further enhancing of the 
trade initiatives.  
The outreach efforts  to investment facilitation  resulted with the conclusion of an Investment Foreign 
Direct  Agreement  for Development , as making our economies more efficient and attractive to foreign 
and national investors.  
Considering the food security as part of negotiation in agriculture, North Macedonia  supports 
achieving balanced results on domestic support for agriculture and enhancing transparency on 
market access.  
North Macedonia as a land lock ed country would like to share that it is at the final stage of ratification 
of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. The ongoing negotiation on fisheries subsidies contributing 
to overcapacity and overfishing is of great importance.  
Concerning the plurilateral trade approach, North Macedonia is pleased to announce its accession to 
the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) in October 2023. It has been a challenging  
milestone, but now is a level playing field for foreign and dom estic businesses, to share economic 
benefit on market access offer.  
This Ministerial Conference is bound to deliver  outcomes .  
The WTO has a valuable role in supporting highly demands to its Members , despite the challenges 
within the multilateral trading s ystem . It is active engage d in our discussions on work plan s, in order  WT/MIN(24)/ST/28  
 
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  to ensure open trade and regulatory coherence , and facilitat es the integration of small economies , 
such as North Macedonia,  into the system . 
In the spirit of the 30th anniversary of the WTO next year, we should mark the confirmation of this 
Organization that keeps pace with our developments in the global economy, thru making our 
economies more resilient.  
It is our hope that this Ministerial Conference will reach a good outcome to the benefit of all. It is 
possible and the WTO can deliver.  
Finally, w ith these words, I wish us all success here and express my hope that we will be able to 
make meaningful progress . 
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