Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Takeo Hiranuma on Monday told the next director general of the World Trade Organization that investment rules should be negotiated during the recently launched new round of international trade talks.
Supachai Panitchpakdi, who will assume the WTO post in the fall, replied that less developed countries realize the benefit of such investment rules and that technical assistance to promote such understanding of those countries is essential.
The new round of talks were launched at a WTO ministerial meeting held in Doha, Qatar, in November.