S Korea-Ottawa Group
S. Korea, Ottawa Group urge free trade of medical supplies
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and a group of countries seeking for the World Trade Organization (WTO) to be reformed called for the free trade of medical supplies to cope with the protracted pandemic, the country's trade ministry said Wednesday.
South Korea plans to join a virtual meeting with member nations of the group, named the Ottawa Group, later in the day, and discuss ways to normalize the function of the Geneva-based body, which recently faced challenges from protectionism amid the pandemic, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The Ottawa Group refers to a group of 14 members of the WTO seeking to revamp the international trade regime, including South Korea, Canada, Australia, Chile and Britain.
"It is important for the WTO to come up with countermeasures against the unprecedented pandemic in the upcoming ministerial meeting," the ministry said in a statement.
The participating nations earlier vowed to propose members of the WTO join the Trade and Health Initiative at the 12th Ministerial Conference of the Geneva-based body, which is scheduled to kick off on Nov. 30.
The initiative centers on inducing members to refrain from making unnecessary trade restrictions against medical supplies, as well as expand ties among governments and international organizations to increase the production of COVID-19 vaccines.
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