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ŞTI welcomes new appointment of WTO
The Acting Secretary for Trade and Industry, Mrs Regina Ip, said tonight (Tuesday) that she was pleased that the issue of who should replace Peter Sutherland as Director-General of the new World Trade Organisation appears finally to have been resolved.
She said: "Hong Kong is happy to join a consensus to appoint Mr Ruggiero, the former Italian Trade Minister. He is without doubt, an extremely capable individual and I am sure that he will lead the new Organisation with great skill and determination. Hong Kong looks forward to working with him over the next few years."
Hong Kong had earlier supported Korean Ambassador Kim's candidature but he withdrew from the race this morning.
But Mrs Ip said she was delighted to learn that Ambassador Kim is considering accepting a Deputy Director-General post as this would mean that his talents would not be lost to the Organisation.
It is understood that members of the Organisation will meet early tomorrow (Hong Kong time) to confirm the arrangements.
Mrs Ip took the opportunity to express her appreciation of the tireless efforts of the outgoing Director-General, Peter Sutherland:
"Peter Sutherland has made an enormous contribution to ensuring the smooth functioning of the international trading system. His legacy is the World Trade Organisation and no one who was present in Geneva during the final days of the Uruguay Round can question the vital role which he played in ensuring its birth. We all owe him a great debt."
End/Tuesday, March 21, 1995