Geneva — The accession of the Union of the Comoros to the World Trade Organization (WTO) took a decisive step forward on Thursday during the 9th meeting of the Working Group dedicated to this purpose, under the chairmanship of the Morocco's Ambassador Permanent Representative in Geneva, Omar Zniber.
The meeting, attended by the Comorian Minister of Economy, Investment and Economic Integration, Ahmed Ali Bazi, and WTO Deputy Director-General Ambassador Zhang Xiangchen, was an opportunity to note the tangible progress achieved in bringing Comorian legislation into line with WTO rules and regulations.
At the outset of the meeting, Mr. Zniber, speaking in his capacity as Chairman of the Working Group, welcomed the efforts made and the progress and achievements made by the Comoros, pointing out that this process is at an advanced stage and should be completed in the coming weeks. This will enable the Union of the Comoros to join in full the WTO multilateral trading system.
The Moroccan diplomat underlined the constructive commitment of the Union of the Comoros, which has led to numerous legislative, institutional, commercial, and economic reforms despite a challenging international environment.
The Chairman also called on delegations to support the accession, which should be formalized at the 13th Ministerial Conference, due on February 26-29 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
For his part, the Comorian Minister praised Morocco's political and diplomatic support for the accession dossier, as well as the efforts of the Working Group's Chair. He also gave an overview of his country's legislative and administrative progress since the 8th meeting of the Working Group, held on January 19, 2023.
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After the Working Group presented its report, about twenty delegations took the floor to underline the positive developments in this issue, reaffirming their commitment to completing this process.
For his part, Mr. Xiangchen highlighted the work accomplished by Comoros since the 8th session, describing as "mature" the country's dossier, which he hoped would be crowned by its accession to the WTO, thus bringing to an end a process that has lasted for over 17 years.
The Moroccan delegation issued a statement in which it reiterated its firm support for this brotherly country, voicing its confidence that Comoros' accession to the WTO would have a positive impact on its socio-economic development, consolidate its African and Arab presence in this international forum, and give fresh impetus to the multilateral trading system advocated by the WTO.
