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The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, will depart for France in the small hours tomorrow (May 6) to attend the Trade Session of the Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to be held in Paris on May 7 (Paris time).
During the Trade Session, Mr So will join the discussion on how the OECD can further support the strengthening of the multilateral trade system, particularly in light of the Ninth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference in Bali (MC9). Participating ministers will also examine the implications of global value chains (GVCs) for trade, investment and jobs, and discuss the key factors improving the capacity of developing countries to participate in GVCs.
In Paris, Mr So will attend an informal gathering of ministers responsible for the WTO on the margins of the MCM. The meeting will discuss the WTO forward negotiating agenda following the Bali Package achieved at MC9, as well as fresh ideas on how to take forward the negotiating agenda in the WTO and to achieve results by the 10th Ministerial Conference in 2015.
Mr So will, upon his arrival in Paris on May 6, meet the Director-General of the WTO, Mr Roberto Azevêdo, for an exchange.
Mr So will be back in Hong Kong on the afternoon of May 8. The Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Godfrey Leung, will be the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development during Mr So's absence.
Ends/Monday, May 5, 2014
Issued at HKT 16:30
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