News Release
Peter Mandelson
No. 164/04
November 22, 2004
PETER MANDELSON BEGINS MANDATE AS EU TRADE COMMISSIONER
WITH VISIT TO WTO IN GENEVA
New EU Commissioner for Trade
Peter
Mandelson will start his mandate today with meetings at the Geneva Headquarters
of the World
Trade Organization (WTO).
In meetings tonight and tomorrow, Mr. Mandelson will meet with WTO Director General
Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi and his deputies, chairpersons of negotiating groups
and a number of ambassadors to the WTO. He will also meet with agency heads for
the International Labor Organization (ILO), World Health Organization (WHO) and
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Mr. Mandelson chose to make the WTO his first destination as Trade Commissioner
in recognition of the central role of the multilateral trading system and the
importance of making rapid progress on the Doha
Development Agenda.
Commissioner Mandelson said: “A successful Doha Round is my top priority. I
have a strong commitment to Trade
and Development policies going hand-in-hand. I would be happy if my period
as Trade Commissioner came to be remembered for that. But we have much hard work
ahead."
