US, Japan promise more aid to least developed countries

US Trade Representative Rob Portman said on Wednesday the United States will double its contribution for trade aid from 1.3 billion US dollars in 2005 to 2.7 billion dollars annually by 2010.

He said at the plenary session of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) that "we believe in trade and we believe we must do more."

However, Portman stressed that these funds and the additional money he announced on Wednesday must go hand-in-hand with market access expansion and the elimination of trade-distorting subsidies.

On the ongoing conference, which aims to advance the stagnated Doha Round of negotiations, Portman said, "We have a once-in-a- generation opportunity to create economic opportunities, alleviate poverty and band nations to each other in the peaceful pursuit of prosperity."

Postman urged the WTO members to be proactive in giving least developed countries (LDCs) development assistance and supporting trade-capacity building.

Also speaking at the plenary session Wednesday, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso explained his country's measures to fully integrate all WTO members in the multilateral trading system.

"The first step toward that goal is to enhance participation in the system by the developing countries, and especially the LDCs," Aso said.

"For them to successfully participate in trade, their production capacity should grow. Their products must proceed with greater ease to their ports to be shipped abroad. And they must find consumers in overseas markets," he said.

"The Japanese package aims to leave not a single one of these three crucial links missed, so that farmers and factory workers both benefit from the chain of commerce," he added.

He listed Japan's measures in this regard as follows:

-- To contribute 10 billion US dollars for infrastructure buildings;

-- To conduct exchanges of experts and trainees, amounting to 10,000 people; and

-- To introduce duty-free and quota-free market access for essentially all LDC products.

Source: Xinhua