CPTPP Members, EU Vow to Spearhead WTO Reform

London, March 27 (Jiji Press)--The 12 member countries of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the European Union said in a joint statement on Friday that they will lead efforts to reform the World Trade Organization.

The joint statement was released on the sidelines of a WTO ministerial conference in Cameroon.

"The WTO is at a critical juncture amid heightened tensions in the global trading system," said the CPTPP members, which include Japan, and the EU.

"Recognizing the critical importance of urgent, deep, comprehensive and inclusive reform of the WTO, we will take concrete steps to support and strengthen the multilateral trading system," they said.

Emphasizing the need for comprehensive yet swift institutional reform, they said that they aim to put together a set of concrete proposals by the next CPTPP-EU meeting.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]