PRESS RELEASE
PRESS/234
4 July 2001
(01-3337)
KOREA'S MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE ANNOUNCES
CONTRIBUTION TO WTO TECHN ICAL ASSISTANCE IN MEETING
WITH WTO DIRECTOR-GENERAL
The Government of the Republic of Korea has announced a voluntary contribution of
385 million Korean Won (about 500,000 Swiss Francs) to the World Trade Organization to help
finance technical cooperation activities in favour of least-developed countries.
In a ceremony held in Geneva on Wednesday 4 July, the Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Trade, Dr. Seung-soo Han, and the Director-Gen eral, Mr. Mike Moore, signed a Memorandum of
Understanding concerning the contribution.
Dr. Seung-soo Han expressed the hope that the contribution "be used before November 2001
to facilitate the launch of a new round of trade negotiations at the Doha Ministerial Conference".
WTO Director-General Mike Moore thanked Korea for its voluntary contribution. He said
Korea's assistance was "most timely in the light of increased demand for technical assistance from
least-developed and other developing countries as WTO members prepare for the Fourth Ministerial
Conference in November".
Since its creation in 1995, the WTO has been receiving voluntary contributions of this kind to
assist poorer countries to participate effectively in the WTO and take advantage of existing and new
opportunities in international trade offered by the WTO Agreements. These funds are administered by
the WTO Secretariat.
END