Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn (right) receives Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said she highly appreciated Việt Nam's active role in the WTO, including its participation in important rounds of negotiations and contributions to the reform and improvement of the organisation’s operational efficiency, at a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn on Thursday.

The leader, who is on a working visit to Việt Nam from May 17 to 19, said she is impressed with Việt Nam’s socio-economic achievements and hoped that Việt Nam will share experiences with developing countries on economic integration and development.

She wished that Việt Nam will actively contribute to the WTO’s cooperation priorities in the time to come; soon ratify the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies; and support the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference next year.

In response, the Vietnamese minister affirmed Việt Nam’s consistent policy of proactively integrating into the world and supporting an open, transparent, fair and rules-based multilateral trading system, in which the WTO plays a central role.

Sơn stressed that as a responsible member of the WTO, Việt Nam always makes efforts to play an active role in the organisation’s cooperation frameworks.

He said the foreign ministry will further work closely with relevant agencies to beef up Việt Nam’s contributions to the WTO.

The host and guest discussed the WTO’s programmes on training and capacity building for Việt Nam’s foreign affairs staff, as well as financial and technical support for Việt Nam so that the country will make deeper integration and greater practical contributions to the operation of the organisation. — VNS