WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/ST/63
18May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2059)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18and20May1998
MONGOLIA
Statement Circulated byH.E. Mr.R.Amajargal,
Minister forExternal Relations
Itisagreat privilege formeandmydelegation toparticipate inthisSecond Ministerial
Conference asafullMember oftheWorld Trade Organization. Thisforum isevenmore significant
forusbybeing heldinaparallel withahighprofile Commemoration ofthe50thAnniversary ofthe
Multilateral Trading System, thehistoric event, which highlights thesuccess ofthesystem overthe
pasthalfofthecentury andreaffirms thetrade liberalization mandate oftheWTO.
Onbehalf oftheGovernment ofMongolia Iwould liketoexpress mysincere appreciation
totheSwiss authorities aswellastoDirector-General Mr.Renato Ruggiero andhisdedicated staff
fortheirenormous efforts andgreat amount ofpreparatory work theyhavecarried outtoensure the
excellent conditions forthework oftheConference.
Ioffermycongratulations toH.E. Mr.Pascal Couchepin onhiselection totheChair ofthe
Session andwishhimevery success.
Ayearandahalfdivide usfromthefirstConference inSingapore anditisworth mentioning
herethatasignificant progress towards freerglobal market hasbeenachieved during thisrelatively
shortperiod oftime. Agreements onInformation Technology, Basic Telecommunication andFinancial
Services areoffundamental importance totheinternational trade community andmark anewerain
world economy.
MongoliaisoneoftheyoungestMemberswhichjoinedtheWTOaftertheSingaporeMinisterial.
Despite thedifficulties itfaces intransition from central planning system tomarket-based, outward
lookingeconomyMongoliahadtakenacourageousandchallengingdecisiontoexercisefrom1May1997
zeroimport dutyregime foralmost allproducts. Thisdecision isapolitical message showing our
fullcommitment toandconfidence inthemultilateral trading system which wereaffirm atthis
Conference.
However, asadeveloping country Mongolia shares concerns about theriskofmarginalization
forless-developed economies. Strengthening theparticipation andintegration ofdeveloping countries
intotheworld trading system andassisting themintaking fulladvantage ofitsbenefits mustbeapriority
objective oftheWTO. Aproper balance between thestrictcompliance withdisciplines, commitments
andthefavourable treatment inthecontext ofthespecial development needs ofthese countries should
beobserved.
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TheworkintheWTOisverydifficultfordevelopingcountries.Theimplementationofcomplex
andtime-bound agreements withmultiplicity ofobligations putsenormous burden onsmall developing
andnascent Member countries asmine.Thelandlocked location andgeographical isolation ofMongolia
cause additional economic burden andbottlenecks. Likemany other developing countries withlow
economic performance Mongolia needs acomprehensive bilateral andmultilateral technical assistance
andsupport intheimplementation oftheUruguay Round Agreements anditsfuller integration into
theglobal trading system. Webelieve thattheConference shalladdress thisissueofcommon interest
toalarge number ofitsMembers.
Most ofuswould agree thatthefuture work programme oftheOrganization mustbeinpace
withthechallenges ofthenewMillennium. There areareas ofworld economy inwhich theWTO
hasamajor roletoplay. While recognizing itMongolia would liketostress thatfuture undertakings
should notoverload orupset thepriority intheimplementation process andtheambitious built-in agenda
already withus.
Mongolia believes thatthecredibility oftheWTO willbestrengthened byitsuniversality.
Inthisregard myGovernment supports theexpeditious accession ofthecurrent candidates onfair
conditions. Thisisofparticular relevance toRussia andChina, themajor players inworld trade, without
which theWTO canhardly beseenasatrulyworld organization.
MongoliasupportstheestablishmentofaformalSecretariat,astrongandindependentSecretariat
withadequate means andabletomeettheexpectations ofalldelegations, particularly those withpressing
needs fortechnical assistance.
Inconclusion Iexpress thefirmconfidence thatthisConference willsuccessfully conclude
itsdeliberation andsendastrong andclear message totheworld community re-enforcing thevalue
oftherule-based multilateral system.
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