WT/MIN(22)/ST/105  
12 June 2022 
(22-4545) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 2022  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MRS DELINA IBRAHIMAJ  
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMY  
ALBANIA  
I want to start by thanking the Swiss government for hosting the Albanian delegation and the 
government of Kazakhstan for co -hosting this twelfth session of the WTO Ministerial Conference.  
 
Albania fully supports an open, non -discriminatory and rule -based global multilateral trading system.  
 
The WTO plays a vital role, central and irreplaceable one in the effective and transparent functioning 
of this system, i n maintaining open and predictable markets and unhindered global trade, including 
the economic recovery from the COVID -19 pandemic.  
 
We are fully convinced that the Geneva Ministerial will serve to further and strongly affirm the 
essential contribution of WTO by delivering significant results on some key issues that are of crucial 
importance and will send a strong message and a clear one on the importance of our organization.  
 
Despite the serious difficulties faced during the pandemic situation, we are once  again challenged in 
a more serious situation, Russian aggression against Ukraine.  
 
In this context, when a member state has attacked another member state, bringing along with  it 
terrible destruction, loss of innocent lives, a great humanitarian crisis, cr uelty and terrible war 
crimes, Albania condemns in the harshest terms of possible aggression of the Russian Federation 
against Ukraine which is an unprovoked, premeditated attack against a sovereign democratic state.  
 
While Albania stands in full solidarity with the people of Ukraine, we call on the Russian Federation 
to fulfil its responsibility to maintain international peace and security.  
 
The WTO has played and is playing its essential role in successfully tackling the COVID -19 pandemic, 
contri buting to keeping trade flows open, thus supporting the livelihoods of peoples across the globe.  
 
Covid -19 situation testified to the necessity of a stable and predictable trading environment, as well 
as the role of the multilateral trading system in ensur ing timely and safe access to quality, safe, 
effective and affordable vaccines and medicines for all.  
 
Furthermore, in this context, I am pleased to state that Albania has co -sponsored the Trade and 
Health Communication: Covid -19 and beyond, considering it  essential in the context of the WTO's 
response to the COVID -19 pandemic.  
 
On issues of intellectual property rights for the prevention and treatment of Covid -19, waiving TRIPS, 
it is of the utmost importance to find a functioning middle ground and to rem ain committed to the 
TRIPS Agreement.  
 
Reaching an agreement on fishery subsidies is of paramount importance as the livelihoods of millions 
of people around the world depend heavily on the fisheries sector.  
 
Albania fully supports the efforts made so far t o advance the negotiations for a consensual 
agreement to fulfil both mandates from the SDG 14.6 target which is an integral part of the UN WT/MIN( 22)/ST/ 105 
 
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  Agenda 2030, as well as from the previous WTO Ministerial Conference. Thus creating a clear ban 
on subsidies that imp air the sustainability of fisheries.  
 
The special and differential treatment should be an integral part of this agreement, including the 
renewal and modernization of the fishing fleet and in this regard, the granting of subsidies should 
be assessed in corr elation with the sustainability of the fishery.  
 
It remains of an urgent matter to be able to ensure the continuous flow of food, as well as products, 
services and essential inputs for agricultural and food production and supply as the devastating war 
in Ukraine has caused barriers to exports, as one of the world's leading exporters of major 
agricultural products.  
 
Therefore, it is important to keep our food and agricultural markets open, predictable and 
transparent by not imposing unjustified trade restric tions on agricultural and agri -food products or 
key inputs of agricultural production.  
 
In the meantime, any emergency measures taken to mitigate the impacts on food safety should be 
as distorting, targeted, proportionate and temporary as possible, as wel l as to provide transparency 
and predictability.  
 
It is of the utmost importance that no export bans or restrictions be imposed on food products 
purchased for non -commercial humanitarian purposes by the World Food Program.  
 
Therefore, issues related to foo d security and the World Food Program in the context of the current 
global crisis deserve special attention and call for our determined joint action.  
 
As the WTO continues to be an essential tool for achieving inclusive and sustainable global growth 
and de velopment, we support efforts to reform the WTO to more effectively address the current and 
future challenges facing the organization and to ensure its sound operation. At the moment, the 
two-tier WTO dispute settlement system is a central element for the security and predictability of 
the multilateral trading system and effective functioning needs to be restored.  
 
The WTO Joint Plurilateral Initiatives cover a wide range of important issues and are giving real 
dynamism to our organization while effectively  delivering tangible results.  
 
Albania being  part in all of them, it is truly encouraging that these open and fully transparent 
initiatives  are complementary to multilateralism.  
 
Regarding e -commerce, let me emphasize that Albania fully supports the extension of the 
e-commerce moratorium on non -imposition of customs duties on electronic broadcasting until the 
next MC13 Conference.  
 
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