DG Okonjo-Iweala welcomes Cabo Verde Prime Minister to WTO
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed Cabo Verde’s Prime Minister, José Ulisses Correia e Silva, to the WTO on 14 July.
They discussed the outcomes of the 12th Ministerial Conference, including a landmark agreement to curb harmful fisheries subsidies, and the way forward for implementing the TRIPS waiver decision for COVID-19 vaccine patents.
The PM outlined some of the particular needs of Cabo Verde and expressed an interest in collaborating with the WTO in areas such as the blue economy, food security, digital economy and climate change.
DG Okonjo-Iweala thanked Prime Minister Correia e Silva for his interest in the work of the WTO. “It’s very impressive what Cabo Verde is doing. Even though the economy contracted severely in 2020, they have rebounded strongly. They are doing the right kind of reforms. They are turning green, trying to do more green growth, which is wonderful. They are trying to integrate with the rest of the continent. They are trying to go digital, which is good for an island economy. I’m very grateful to His Excellency for a good meeting,” she said.
Mr Correia e Silva said: “It was a pleasure to meet the Director-General and to pay tribute to her strong leadership, especially during the Ministerial Conference. We are a small economy. We need global markets and African markets to make our economy develop. Trade is an important area for all economies and especially for small island states.”
Cabo Verde became a WTO member on 23 July 2008.
