MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd August, 2018) The negative atmosphere around the World Trade Organization (WTO) may serve as a catalyst for the discussion of its reform, the director of Department for Trading Negotiations at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development said on Wednesday.
"Perhaps, the negative atmosphere that was artificially created in the last few years, will spur on the discussion. This is a very important topic. The WTO has long needed reforming, raising the effectiveness of institutions. We intend to actively participate in this work," Maxim Medvedkov said.
According to the Russian official, the discussion of reform has been slowly gaining traction within the organization itself.
The debates on the need for WTO reform have been ongoing for several years now. In 2001, the Doha round of negotiations was launched on potentially opening agriculture and manufacturing markets. However, the proposed changes have faced some criticism over their efficiency.
