WORLD TRADE WT/FIFTY/H/ST/2
19May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2069)
50THANNIVERSARY Original: English
19May1998
SLOVENIA
Statement byDr.Janez Drnov šek,
Prime Minister
Please allow metoexpress mysincerest appreciation totheorganizers ofthishistoric and
extraordinary celebration, particularly totheDirector-General oftheWorld Trade Organization and
hisstaff, fortheunique opportunity topaytribute ofmycountry totheGATT andthemultilateral
trading system thatwasbornwithit50years ago.
Asarelative newcomer tothesystem, asacountry thatacceded totheGATT in1994, and
asthelastcontracting party tosignontotheAgreement, myGovernment andmyself fullyunderstand
thecontribution oftheGATT andnowoftheWTO totheremarkable worldwide growth intrade,
employment andsocial progress. Therefore, here,atthissingularly important commemoration, Iwish
topaytribute totheGATT 'sfounders andtheenormous potential thattheyhaveunleashed.
Thewealth ofexperience withtheimplementation oftheGATT inthepastfivedecades and
itsdevelopment andthecollective wisdom ofgovernments andtraders isteaching usthattrade and
international economic tiespromote andreinforce stability andpeace, andthattheonlyconflict worth
pursuing iscompetition inanopen market. Thegreatest achievement, tomymind, oftheGATT,
apart from itssuccess asaneconomic experiment, isthebinding ofnations andpeoples together on
anon-political basis. Through theGATT andtheWorld Trade Organization, Slovenia, acountry that
heavily depends ontrade, haslearned thebenefits ofsuchbinding through regional integration and
economic cooperation, inparticular, within theCentral European FreeTrade Agreement, through the
European FreeTrade Association andmost recently, through theprocesses ofintegration withthe
European Communities. Mycountry seesregional tradeagreements asastageinthegradual reduction
andelimination oftrade barriers andtherefore astheroadtotheultimate goaloftheGATT, asitwas
envisioned byitsfounders andisstillchampioned today, thatis,thedisappearance oftariffs andquotas
andother limitations toeconomic growth, greater employment andsustainable development.
Accession totheGATT wasamajor stepping-stone inSlovenia 'seconomic history. Itallowed
mycountry toassert itseconomic independence andgainfullcitizenship among trading nations. It
proved itsviability asayoung, vibrant andforward-looking economy. Slovenia isfirminitsbelief
thatallnations, largeandsmall, andparticularly developing nations andcountries intransition, should
beabletofullybenefit fromthemultilateral trading system. Nocountry should bebarred fromaccession
totheWTO. Even more, allofusshould helpthose thatarepursuing Membership. However, there
should benoreason tocompromise theestablished trade rules. Thepractice ofcontribution bynew
countries ofmeaningful market access concessions should bemaintained, andnothing infuture
negotiations should beusedasanexcuse torollback orrevise thecommitments andagreements already
achieved.
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Aswecelebrate thisremarkable milestone today, itisnecessary totakeaccount oftherecent
developments ininternational trade andtocallonourMinisters toadopt objectives andguidelines for
thefuture work intheWorld Trade Organization inclearandoperational language, andtoconsider
issues andfuture directions andthrough theirrecommendations toreaffirm thebelief inthecentral
roleofthemultilateral rule-based system, reaffirm theWorld Trade Organization astheprimary forum
forbroad-based trade liberalization.
Furthermore, itisimperative tocommunicate tothewider public theachievements thatwe
arecelebrating today andwhatisthevision forthefuture interms ofenhancement ofprosperity for
allnations. Itisofcrucial importance fortheWorld Trade Organization toberesponsive tocivilsociety
anditsconcerns. Itmustalsobeabletolisten seriously totheconcerns ofthedeveloping world and
address them inanappropriate way.
Slovenia islooking forward tothenewchallenges thattheWorld Trade Organization must
meet. Itislooking forward tobeing involved inthenewissues thatwillbediscussed intheWTO
inthenextdecade. Theinfluence ofthese issues willgobeyond trade. Themajor challenges now
aretrade andenvironment, labour standards, protected farm trade, newdirections oninvestment,
competition policy, andsoon.TheWorld Trade Organization must bring usintothenewcentury
onthewings ofnewideas inasimilar wayasthefounders oftheGATT havebrought forward anew
eraineconomic history inthemiddle ofthiscentury.
Thecompelling ideasoftheGATT, brought intotheWorld Trade Organization, based onequal
opportunity andopen markets, clear rules andcoherent domestic andinternational economic
policy-making, andothers, areworth pursuing anddeveloping against thesame oddsthatGATT had
faced. Webelieve thatwewillsucceed.
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