Kazakhstan took part in the Geneva Trade Week event on trade and sustainable development

On 30 September 2020, the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva co-hosted a session on “Harnessing trade as a means for strengthening Agenda 2030/SDGs – the case of WTO accession”. The online session was organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) within the framework of the Geneva Trade Week.

In her statement, the Permanent Representative Zhanar Aitzhanova noted that on 30 November 2020 Kazakhstan marks the fifth anniversary of Kazakhstan’s membership in the WTO. She emphasized that the Sustainable Development Goals were integrated into Kazakhstan’s national development strategies. The process of accession to the WTO was also aimed at ensuring the sustainability of Kazakhstan’s economy taking into account that every commitment made within the framework of accession negotiations was part of the economic reforms undertaken by the Government of Kazakhstan.

Ambassador Aitzhanova highlighted active participation of Kazakhstan in the work of the WTO, which contributes to the fulfilment of priorities stated by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in the State of the Nation Address, such as attracting investments and promotion of Kazakhstan’s goods and services for the purpose of diversifying the national economy and strengthening its competitiveness in the new world realities.

The session was attended by the UNECE Executive Secretary O.Algayerova, the Permanent Representative of Belarus Y.Ambrazievich, the Chief Negotiators for Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO B.Abidov and for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s WTO accession H.Tinjak, as well as by the former Assistant US Trade Representative M.Linscott.