WT/MIN(15)/ST/55  
18 December 2015  
(15-6782)  Page: 1/1  
Ministerial Conference 
Tenth Session 
Nairobi, 15-18 December 2015  Original: English  
 
STATEMENT BY H.E. MR EDGARDS RINK ĒVIČS 
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS 
LATVIA 
First of all let me avail this opportunity to thank Kenya, in particular President Uhuru Kenyatta as 
well as Cabinet Secretary and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Amina Mohamed for hosting us in Nairobi – and for the first time in Africa.  
Let me also thank the Director General Roberto Azevêdo as well as the Chairman of the General 
Council Fernando de Mateo for their dedicated efforts in stirring the negotiation process.  
The WTO 10
th Ministerial conference in Nairobi marks the 20th anniversary of the organization. 
During this time, the WTO has become the backbone of the multilateral rules-based trading system, contributing to the strength and the stability of the global economy. The organization has 
been fundamental in setting trade rules and gu arding their implementation, thus ensuring 
transparency and predictability for stakeholders. Despite economic and financial turbulences, the 
share of the world trade in GDP has increased by 10% over the last two decades, it is a fact. 
 
Moreover, the WTO membership is constantly growing. The organization has welcomed over 
30 new members in the past 20 years, among them some of the world’s largest as well as most vulnerable economies. That means there is continuous trust in the multilateral trading system. I 
am pleased to see the Republic of Liberia and th e Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to join the 
organization, and I congratulate the Republic of  Seychelles and Kazakhstan to their first WTO 
Ministerial Conference. 
 
In the meantime, we still have a lot to deliver and there is no time to be complacent. We have gathered in Nairobi with the aim to advance on such significant issues as export competition in agriculture, transparency in WTO provisions, and specific issues for Least Developed Countries 
(LDCs). We hold collective responsibility to find constructive ways to deliver tangible and realistic 
outcomes on these issues, especially since they are essential for development.  
At the same time we have to address the outstanding key issues and find a way to move forward, 
reinforcing the credibility of the organization and its negotiation function. The relevance of the WTO depends on how alert we are in response to the changing global business realities. A new 
approach is necessary to successfully advance the outstanding issues. I also believe, we should 
not hesitate to start discussing new issues in the WTO framework.    I applaud the achieved success with regard to th e expansion of trade in information technology 
products since the original ITA in 1996 – that will add considerable value to the world trade. I also 
look forward to a positive outcome on the En vironmental Goods Agreement (EGA) in the near 
future. 
 
The World Trade Organization is our strong asset. We should be responsible and bold in our decisions, and we should embrace the unique role of the WTO as the most inclusive framework for 
global trade governance. Let Nairobi deliver meanin gful results, and serve as a stepping stone for 
further global trade integration.  
__________