"We must use the World Trade Organization as a platform to resolve international trade disputes through negotiation without escalating trade wars," said Lithuania‘s Foreign Minister.
According to the Foreign Minister, Lithuania fully supports a stable and open international trading system. Rules stablished by the WTO are a guarantor of this system, as well as an effective supervision of their implementation. To this end, it is important to modernize the organization, update the rules and mechanisms for their implementation.
Underlying causes of current trade disputes include state subsidies and unfair competition. Therefore, the WTO should mainly focus on addressing these issues. Lithuanian producers suffer significantly from Russia's dual energy pricing. Lithuania is actively involved in the drafting of EU proposals aimed at maintaining the WTO dispute settlement system and reforming the rules.
The WTO Director-General is visiting Lithuania for the first time. R. Azevêdo came to take part in an international high-level trade policy conference “Global Trade – what is in it for us?” at the National Gallery of Art on 20 November. The conference is organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania at the National Gallery of Art.
