Mozambique’s President Meets with Head of World Trade Organisation

The President of Mozambique, His Excellency Filipe Nyusi, met with the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Roberto Azevêdo, on February 26, 2018 to discuss how the organisation and trade policy could help the country achieve its development goals

The southern African country’s aims include economic diversification and global integration.

The President was accompanied at the WTO headquarters by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, José Condugua António Pacheco, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ragendra de Sousa, and other senior officials.

He emphasised the importance of the organisation’s work for Mozambique’s development and urged all WTO members to continue to ensure that the multilateral trading system delivered growth particularly for least-developed economies such as Mozambique’s.

Mozambique has been a WTO member since August 1995 and has been a member of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade since July 1992.

President Nyusi said: “Mozambique is a strong supporter of the WTO and the multilateral trading system because we believe that trade can be a positive force and an engine for the country's development.”

WTO Director-General Azevêdo said: “Mozambique is an important member of the organization, and their leadership is important to ensure that the system continues to deliver to the needs of its members.

“As a least-developed country, Mozambique benefits from a number of WTO initiatives to help them build their capacity to trade, including the Enhanced Integrated Framework.

“As activity picks up at the WTO following our 11th Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires, Mozambique's engagement will be very important to help advance our work on a range of topics that are very important to the country.

“I look forward to working with President Nyusi and the Government of Mozambique to this end.”