WT/MIN(17)/ST/11  
 
13 December 2017  
(17-6885) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Eleventh Session  
Buenos Aires, 10 -13 December 2017  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY MR MAKSIM ORESHKIN  
MINISTER OF ECONOMIC  DEVELOPMENT OF THE R USSIAN FEDERATION  
RUSSIAN FEDERATION  
It is my pleasure to address the WTO Ministerial and do so on the Argentinian soil. I thank our 
hosts for their outstanding hospitality and laborious efforts in laying grounds for our success.  
 
The situation we find ourselves in today is certainly not easy. Despite the fact that this year the 
world trade growth has bounc ed back to a healthy average and went over three percent baseline, 
trade landscape still remains rather fragile and faces multiple setbacks. Expanding isolationist and 
counter -competitive practices pose an increasing threat to the openness and fairness of the 
multilateral trade.  
 
To our regret, the recent years have also demonstrated an emergence of a new trend – one of the 
utmost aggressive forms of protectionism. Sanctions. Already now we have enough evidence that 
proves that one of the reasons for counti es to so cynically impose sanctions on their WTO trade 
partners is to provide their own companies with preferences and benefit their domestic markets. It 
is our duty to set the multilateral trading system free of this abusive phenomenon.  
 
Furthermore, the  ever-changing trade pattern itself calls for further adaptive responses from us. 
Those disciplines that have been considered progressive and ambitious before, do not demonstrate 
as much relevance today. In order to withstand such turbulent times, the WTO has to go hand in 
hand with the ongoing global reforms and adapt to the modern day realities.  
 
In the modern economy investment is a driver and enabler of trade. On this note, we support the 
initiative to deliver an outcome on investment facilitation in t he WTO during this Ministerial 
Conference. We urge the Membership to adopt a Ministerial Decision on Investment Facilitation for 
Development.  
 
We urge the Ministers to address the issues of e -commerce and MSMEs. The number of proposals 
on e-commerce demons trates the high level of engagement and interest from Members. We would 
like this engagement to be transformed into a serious in depth work after MC11.   
 
The disciplines on domestic regulation could significantly contribute to development of business 
environment. There is already a huge support of these disciplines among Members, and the 
Russian Federation counts for multilateral outcome on this matter.  
 
We support efforts to increase transparency and efficiency of the multilateral trading system and 
welco me respective initiatives launched by several Members, including the EU proposal on 
transparency of regulatory measures for trade in goods and Singapore proposal on export 
restrictions. This suggests that the work on enhancing transparency disciplines in t he WTO 
continues and RTAs Transparency Mechanism remains one of its priorities.  
 
Fisheries subsidies.  We are, thus, happy to see the draft Ministerial Decision containing a 
prohibition on subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing. IUU fishing is the global challenge to 
sustainable development of seas and oceans – the resource that we all rely on in our foo d policies. 
To this end, we welcome the introduction of comprehensive and effective discipline related to IUU 
fishing at MC11.  
 WT/MIN(17)/ST/11  
 
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  Finally, I’d like to address our agricultural agenda. One of the outstanding issues here is Public 
Stockholding for Food Securit y Purposes. I trust that we can jointly reach the permanent solution 
on the issue building on the respective Bali Ministerial Decision.  
 
On Domestic Support in Agriculture Members still have quite divergent views. We, thus, support 
the idea to continue our  negotiations further with the objective of imposing additional 
proportionate restraints on trade -distorting domestic support, including for Cotton. In order to 
facilitate our future work, we propose to adopt the Work Program on Domestic Support at the 
Ministerial Conference.  
 
Further negotiation on Market Access in Agriculture could be a part of the post Buenos  Aires Work 
Program. We see this as a chance to reach the balance between ambitious commitments of very 
recently acceded Members and the commitment s of founding Members that yet have to be 
improved. One of the doable and rational steps forward in this regard could be the gradual 
elimination of Special Safeguard measures in Agriculture. Although normally inactive for the 
majority of Members that have not used this instrument since 2001, it still harms agricultural trade 
predictability. We remain convinced that this instrument has fully played its role and can now be 
dismantled.  
 
Last but not least, in accordance with paragraph 31 of the Nairobi Minist erial Declaration Members 
commit to advance negotiations on all three pillars of Agriculture, including Export Competition. 
We support the initiative on the continuation of agriculture reform in this regard.  
 
The Russian Federation has made its fair contri bution and heavily invested into preparations for 
the Ministerial through both textual proposals and co -sponsorship. We are certainly moving at a 
steady pace and we call on all the other WTO Members to act likewise. I thank many delegations 
for their posit ive feedback on our efforts and call for a joint action with my fellow ministers to turn 
the rich paperwork on the table into compelling outcomes.  
 
We must not forget, however, that there are also broader issues to be considered. It cannot be 
denied that the WTO has not performed to the best of its abilities. Here we stand in full solidarity 
with certain WTO Members that an institutional reform is long due. Together we have to consider 
what could be done to facilitate WTO’s functioning in order for it to r emain an effective platform for 
international trade cooperation and rules -making.  
 
It is to our delight that recently we have witnessed certain countries advocating fair trade, as well 
as strict and timely implementation of WTO commitments by the Members.  Fair trade for all is 
something that we too applaud and encourage. However, we believe that this concept doesn’t 
provide for the 18th century principle of equivalent exchange. And while back in those times this 
concept was rather fitting, today we live in  a globalized World, where such tactics are no longer 
deemed appropriate.  
 
Finally, to make the WTO truly universal, we believe that the accession of new Members to the 
Organization is essential. Thus, Russia attaches great importance to the accession of B elarus to 
the WTO. Successful and timely conclusion of these negotiations would help advance and 
strengthen the universality of the WTO.  
 
Let's move to action and lead the World by example.  
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