XN000022-1976-02-05 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1976

HONG KONG HOSTS SEMINAR FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

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MORE THAN 50 DELEGATES FROM ABOUT 20 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES WILL ARRIVE. IN HONG KONG OVER THE WEEK-END TO ATTEND A WEEK-LONG SEMINAR ON THE MULTILATERAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS (MTN).

THE MTN ARE NEGOTIATIONS HELD UNDER THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE TO HELP LIBERALISE WORLD TRADE AND, IN PARTICULAR, TO REMOVE TRADE BARRIERS.

THE SEMINAR STARTS ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, AND CLOSES ON FEBRUARY 16. IT WILL BE HELD IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE HANG SENG BANK BUILDING IN THE DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL.

THE SEMINAR IS SPONSORED BY THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR ASIA AND PACIFIC (ESCAP) AND THE COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT, AND PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNTRIES IN THOSE REGIONS TO MEET AND DISCUSS PROBLEMS CONFRONTING THEM IN THE MTN AND TO INCREASE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS AT THE NEGOTIATIONS WHICH ARE STILL GOING ON IN GENEVA,

ALTHOUGH THE MTN WERE STARTED IN 1973 IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1975 THAT SUBSTANTIVE NEGOTIATIONS GOT UNDERWAY.

OFFICIALS WHO WILL ATTEND THE SEMINAR IN HONG KONG INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES FROM INDIA, MALAYSIA, NEW HEBRIDES, SINGAPORE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, SRI LANKA, TONGA, WESTERN SAMOA, BANGLADESH, IRAN, AFGHANISTAN, THAILAND, NEPAL, INDONESIA, PHILIPPINES, PAKISTAN AND BHUTAN.

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HONG KONG WILL BE REPRESENTED BY MR. JUSTIN YUE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, AND MR. PETER WISÉ, PRINCIPAL TRADE OFFICER, BASED IN GENEVA.

THE DIRECTOR OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, MR. DAVID JORDAN,

WILL OPEN THE SEMINAR.