Ireland Supports New Advice Centre for Least Developed Countries Tom Kitt Signs Agreement in Seattle Government to Commit More Than £2 Million to Project" - Kitt "IFA Comments Are Not Constructive" - Minister

The Minister for Trade, Tom Kitt, will today (Tuesday, 30th November 1999) sign an agreement in Seattle committing Irish Government funding over £2 million to a new WTO legal advice centre for the world's Least Developed Countries. The new centre will be based in Geneva, which is home to the WTO.

"Ireland is determined to ensure that the world's poorer nations can participate fully in the work of the World Trade Organisation and obtain full benefit from the liberalisation of world trade," said Minister Kitt. "This centre will help them achieve that objective and I am proud of the role Ireland has played in bringing this initiative about"

The Centre is the idea of a number of EU countries spearheaded by the Dutch. Denmark and the UK are among the others involved.

"Ireland is to the forefront in supporting this proposal," said Minister Kitt. He added "I believe that the Government's decision to commit funding to the project was a key factor in ensuring that it has now come about. Our decision helped to bring others on board and it represents a new age of self-confidence in our position and role in world affairs. Ireland exported almost £30 billion worth of products in the first half of 1999 and we are now one the strongest trading nations in the world. On the other hand, the poorest countries in the world account for no more than 0.5% of world trade. We have a responsibility to bring about a greater global distribution of wealth and that is what this project is designed to assist."