WT/MIN(13)/ST/44  
5 December 2013  
(13-6698)  Page: 1/2  
Ministerial Conference 
Ninth Session 
Bali, 3-6 December 2013  Original: French  
 
  STATEMENT BY H.E. MS VICTOIRE NDIKUMANA 
MINISTER OF TRADE, INDUSTRY, POSTS AND TOURISM 
BURUNDI  
It is a great honour and a genuine privilege for me to take the floor before this 
distinguished gathering at the Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference which brings us together here in Bali, Indonesia. 
First of all, I would like to extend my heartfel t thanks to the Indonesian Government for their 
excellent organization of this Conference, their hospitality and the warm welcome they have given 
my delegation. 
Next, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to Mr Roberto Azevêdo, the 
new Director-General, on his recent appointment as head of the WTO. We also congratulate 
him on his decisive role in facilitating the current negotiations. We wish him every success in his mission and can assure him of our support throughout his term of office. 
I also wish to join other delegations in warmly congratulating Yemen on the occasion of its 
well-deserved accession to the WTO. 
My country aligns itself with the statement made by the Kingdom of Morocco on behalf 
of the African Group, the statem ent made by Nepal for the least developed countries, and that 
made by Jamaica for the ACP countries. 
As a landlocked country in a post-conflict situation, Burundi faces numerous challenges when 
it comes to integrating itself successfully into the multilateral trading system. 
It has opted for an open trade policy and the strengthening of regional and world integration 
as an instrument of its growth and poverty-reduction strategy. 
The most recent WTO review of our trade policy in 2012 highlighted the considerable progress that 
our country has made in improving its business climate, facilitating trade, and promoting and 
developing trade and investment. 
Unfortunately, world trade growth continues to be unevenly distributed between WTO member 
countries. It is therefore vital that special attention be given to the least developed countries 
in view of the numerous structural constraints and their limited technical and financial capacities. 
While reiterating its thanks to all the donors that support LDCs and fragile economies, Burundi 
would like to see an increase in technical and financial assistance aimed at improving agricultural 
productivity and infrastructure, as well as additional support to ensure conformity with technical 
standards and sanitary and phytosanitary measures that limit access for our products on the international market. 
The reduction of import costs, in particular for landlocked countries, the elimination of export 
subsidies by developed countries and the regulation of export credits are also necessary conditions for agricultural development and food security in our countries. WT/MIN(13)/ST/44 
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  After so many years of negotiations, Burundi be lieves that a balanced agreement based on the 
three selected pillars (agriculture, trade facilitation and development) would be particularly important for the integrity and credibility of the WTO as an pre-eminent forum for the conduct of multilateral trade negotiations and that it wo uld prevent the risk of recourse to bilateral and 
regional approaches.  
In conclusion, Burundi calls upon all Members to show greater flexibility with a view to achieving 
consensus in a win-win situation. 
 
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