Russia, France To Set Up Working Group On WTO Reform - Russian Minister

Russia and France have agreed to set up a working group at the ministerial level on reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and its first meeting may be held by the end of the year, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin said on Monday.

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th December, 2018) Russia and France have agreed to set up a working group at the ministerial level on reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and its first meeting may be held by the end of the year, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin said on Monday.

"This will be a working group at the ministerial level. We are planning to hold the first meeting by the end of the year," Oreshkin told reporters following a meeting of the Russian-French council on economic, financial, industrial and trade issues.

According to the minister, the sides will develop joint working proposals for reforming the WTO.

Debates on the need to reform the WTO 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.

The calls for the WTO reform have intensified amid recent trade tensions, which include among others US shift to the policy of protectionism.