Chile Also Joins 'Korea-Led' COVID-19 Response Ministerial Declaration

Officialized at WTO General Council
Cooperation with Korea, Singapore, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand

Yoo Myung-hee, Chief Negotiator of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Chile has also agreed to join the ministerial declaration led by Korea on facilitating the movement of essential personnel and smooth trade in response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Five countries, including Singapore, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, had previously agreed to this declaration.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 1st that Chile declared its participation in the "Joint Ministerial Declaration on an Action Plan to Facilitate the Flow of Goods, Services, and Essential Personnel" at the World Trade Organization (WTO) General Council meeting held on the 29th of last month.

Earlier, on the 1st of last month, under the leadership of Yoo Myung-hee, head of the Ministry's Trade Negotiations Division, trade ministers from Singapore, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand agreed to the declaration. It was adopted to ensure essential trade and personnel flows despite the COVID-19 crisis and was discussed as one of the agenda items at the WTO General Council meeting.

Our government stated that the joint ministerial declaration by the five countries includes specific cooperation plans to keep trade routes open in response to COVID-19, such as ▲ ensuring the flow of Global Value Chains (GVCs), ▲ facilitating the movement of essential personnel, and ▲ minimizing the negative impacts on trade and investment.

It emphasized that maintaining the essential flow of goods, services, and personnel even during the COVID-19 situation will contribute to overcoming the crisis and will also be effective in demonstrating the relevance and effectiveness of the WTO system.

The Chilean side said, "This is a model case of international cooperation to minimize the negative impacts of COVID-19 on trade and investment and to protect free trade even in crisis situations," and added, "We will strengthen cooperation with the five countries participating in the declaration."

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy evaluated, "With the agenda setting at the WTO General Council and Chile's announcement of participation, the cooperation that Korea has been promoting to maintain trade and essential personnel flows despite the pandemic has expanded and developed into multilateral cooperation."

The government plans to continue discussions to concretize and deepen trade cooperation in response to COVID-19 using the joint ministerial declaration of the six countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.