WT/MIN(22)/ST/17  
12 June 2022 
(22-4453) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 2022  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY H.E.  MS RAZMENA CHEKIKJ DUROVIKJ  
STATE SECRETARY , MINISTRY OF ECONOMY  
NORTH MACEDONIA  
First and foremost, let me express our appreciation to the co -host Republic of Kazakhstan and WTO 
Director -General Madam Ngozi Okonjo -Iweala for their tireless efforts in preparing this 
12th Ministerial Conference, in these difficult times faced with the COVID and post COVID pandemic 
and challenges related to crises worldwide.  
 
We would also like to welcome Turkmenistan for its o fficial application to join the WTO, and to wish 
all success for becoming full -fledged member.  
 
North Macedonia attaches great importance to an open and ruled -base multilateral trading system 
and to assure good functioning of this system, even in crisis t ime, the future work of the WTO is of 
most essential. Building a solid economic recovery and restoring confidence in the WTO system is of 
utmost importance to achieve concrete and measurable outcomes.  
 
WTO has a central role in addressing trade issues and  supporting members to avoid unprecedented 
disruptions to global supply chains and increasing trade tensions. We have all witnessed that 
transparency of applying trade measures and export restrictions on critical products has been most 
exposed during the c rises.  
 
At this stage what we need is to discuss plans and the next steps to implement on Ministerial 
Statements agreed in December last year, as well to reaffirm our shared objectives on joint 
statements and declarations, in areas such as trade and health , agriculture and food security, 
e-commerce and others.  
 
Priority initiatives of North Macedonia, where we have been actively engaged, are:  
 
1. outreach efforts to investment facilitation,  
2. undertake additional commitments to the GATS Schedules,  
3. e-commerce perspectives,  
4. support of gender perspective and women 's economic empowerment,  
5. sustainability of supply chains to circular economy, in order to keep pace with the 
developments in the glob al economy and to create further opportunities for inclusive trade 
and diversification, making our economies more resilient.  
 
North Macedonia is pleased for the conclusion of negotiations on the Reference Paper on Services 
Domestic Regulation at the end of last year and has already started domestic procedure prior to 
submit its Schedule of Specific Commitments for certification.  
 
North Macedonia has submitted coverage initial offer for the accession to the WTO Agreement on 
Government Procurement (GPA) in 2018 and has the challenging task of accelerating our negotiation 
to join the GPA, as a sign of transparent electronic and non -discriminatory public procurement 
system in line with international best practice.  
 WT/MIN( 22)/ST/ 17 
 
- 2 - 
 
  I hope that this conference will be successfu l so that we encourage members to stand committed to 
achieve results in the area of fishery subsidies and to agree upon domestic support for agriculture 
and enhancing transparency on export restriction and prohibition on agriculture products, with the 
view of finalizing the process after years of negotiation.  
 
WTO should continue its active engagement in our discussions on work plans, in order to ensure 
open trade and regulatory coherence, as well to facilitate the integration of small economies, such 
as North Macedonia, into the multilateral trading system. We, collectively, have a moral obligation 
and political will to generate benefits for all our Members.  
 
Finally, with these words, I wish us all success here in Geneva and express my hope that we will b e 
able to send a message to the world that we have made a meaningful progress.  
 
__________