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WTO NEWS: 2000 PRESS RELEASES

Press/191
19 September 2000

WTO starts 15th Trade Policy Course

During a brief ceremony held today, Mr. Paul-Henri Ravier, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization, officially launched the 15th Trade Policy Course held under the aegis of the WTO.

Mr. Ravier welcomed the 28 trade officials on behalf of Mike Moore, Director-General of the WTO. “In order to deal with global issues, you have to be global yourself”, Mr. Ravier said. He also referred to the possible expansion of the WTO training capacity which is presently being discussed by WTO Members in the context of the budget preparation for 2001. Mr. Ravier also highlighted the high interest that Mike Moore has placed on activities aimed at increasing the capacity of least-developed countries to participate in the multilateral trading system.

Officials from Armenia, Iran, the Russian Federation and Vanuatu are participating for the first time ever in these regular courses.

The 28 participants from developing countries and customs territories will attend the 12-week course, which will run until 8 December 2000. Since their inception in 1955, 93 residential trade policy courses have been organized under the GATT and the WTO and close to 2000 officials have participated in the training. In addition, a number of short trade policy courses are also organized by the WTO in the context of its technical cooperation programme.

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List of Participants

Algeria Miss Dalila BOUBENIDER, Deputy Director, General Direction of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Trade, Alger.
Armenia Mr. Vache KIRAKOSYAN, Head, Department of the WTO Affairs and Implementation of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the EU, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Yerevan.
Bhutan Miss Karma Damcho NIDUP, WTO Officer, Department of Trade, Foreign Trade Division, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Thimphu.
Botswana Mr. Kedibonye LALETSANG, Principal Commercial Officer, Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Gaborone.
Burundi Miss Gaudence KANYANGE, Lawyer Adviser, Office of the Permanent Secretary of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Bujumbura.
Egypt Mr. Yehia ABDEL HALIM, Commercial Attaché, WTO Unit, International Organization Department, Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade, Cairo.
Ghana Mr. Kwadwo Ntim ATUAHENE, Senior Commercial Officer, Foreign Trade, Multilateral and Bilaterals Division, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Accra.  
Guyana Mr. Adam St'John LYNCH, Foreign Service Officer II, Minister's Secretariat, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Georgetown.
Hong Kong, China Mr. Cheuk Hang WONG, Trade Officer, Multilateral Division, Trade Department, Trade and Industry Bureau, Mongkok.
Iran Miss Mandana FAZEL-SARJUI, Research Director for WTO Studies, Research Section, Secretariat for Trade Representative, Ministry of Commerce, Tehran.
Lao People's Dem. Republic Mr. Khoun SOUTHAMMAKOTH, Deputy Director, Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Tourism, Vientiane
Malawi Mr. Emmanuel Mtotomoka MUNTHALI, Trade Officer, Commerce Department (External Trade), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Lilongwe.
Maldives Mr. Abdulla THAWFEEQ, Trade Promotion Officer, International Cooperation Division, Ministry of Trade and Industries, Male. 
Nigeria Mrs. Rita Watirahyel Ladi MSHELIA, Principal Commercial Officer, Department of External Trade, Multilateral Trade Division, Federal Ministry of Commerce and Tourism, Abuja.
Oman Miss Hilda Ali AL-HINAI, Representative of the Sultanate Office to WTO, Permanent Mission of the Sultanate of Oman to the United Nations in Geneva, Geneva.
Philippines Miss Margaret MARTINEZ, Senior Trade and Industry Development Specialist, Multilateral and Regional Arrangements Division, Bureau of International Trade Relations, Makati City.
Qatar Mr. Faisal Abdulla ALMANA, Trade Researcher for WTO Affairs, Commerce Department, Ministry of Finance, Economy and Commerce, Doha.  
Romania Miss Carmen Florina FRATITA, Expert, Directorate for Multilateral Relations - WTO, Trade Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Bucharest.
Russian

Federation

Miss Olga ANUROVA, Counsellor, Department of Tariff Policy and Trade Remedies Measures, Ministry of Trade, Moscow.
Saint Lucia Miss Hyacinth RAMSAY, Foreign Service Officer III, Trade and Legal Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Castries.
Saudi Arabia Mr. Mohammad Al-Ghamdi AL-AIYASH, Head, Trade Policy Division, International Organization Department, Ministry of Commerce, Riyadh.
Sri Lanka Mr. Sidath Kumar VENGADASALAM SITHANBARAM, Assistant Director of Commerce, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Internal and International Commerce and Food, Colombo.
Chinese Taipei Mr. Wei-lien William LIU, First Commercial Secretary, Third Division, Board of Foreign Trade, Taipei.
Tanzania United

Republic of

Mr. Ulimbakisya Faustin Syangundupu KAMOLA, Assistant Director, Commerce and Trade Policy Section, Division of Commerce, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Dar Es Salaam.
Thailand Miss Naratchata INTARAPRASIT, Trade Officer, Bureau of Multilateral Trade Negotiation, Department of Business Economics, Ministry of Commerce, Bangkok.
Trinidad and

Tobago

Miss Donna Jacqueline DE FOUR, Senior Economist, Hemispheric/International Trade, Ministry of Trade and Industry and Consumer Affairs, Port-of-Spain.
Turkey Mr. Mesut KOC, Attaché, General Directorate of Multilateral Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ankara.
Vanuatu Mr. Georges Singana MANIURI, Director General, Director General's Office, Ministry of Trade and Business Development, Vila.