The World Trade Organization (WTO) remains the “ideal path” for the Swiss economy in today’s world, according to Helene Budliger Artieda, head of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
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Keystone-SDA
Budliger Artieda said she would fight to prevent an “erosion” of the institution at the ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi.
The WTO remains important for Switzerland, a small country but one of the 20 largest markets in the world, she told the Swiss News Agency Keystone-SDA. The WTO is also important for many developing countries, she said.
In Abu Dhabi, Switzerland’s goal remains to “prevent the organisation from being eroded” by advocating a functioning dispute settlement mechanism and helping to adapt the WTO to the realities of the 21st century.
Addressing the demonstrations by farmers and increasing social tensions in countries around the world, she said: “We were a little naive when we thought that everyone would benefit from globalisation.”
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
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