Jabu Moleketi, Deputy Minister of Finance of South Africa
11 February 2006
South Africa welcomes the opportunity afforded by the G8 Finance Ministers
to attend their meeting in Moscow on 11 February 2006, together with Brazil,
India and China.
Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Jabu Moleketi, noted that such meetings
enable developing countries to share their views with the G8 on global economic
and trade matters.
The meeting focused on the need to make more progress on the Doha Trade
Round, with a special emphasis on the Doha Development Agenda. These matters
include agricultural reforms, expanding market access and the elimination of
trade-distorting subsidies. A special emphasis was placed on the increase of
Aid-for-Trade to address supply side constraints in developing countries like
transport infrastructure to enhance the capacity of developing countries, to
enable them to take advantage of trade opportunities. The meeting also noted
the importance of opening up markets for non-agricultural commodities and
services.
The meeting noted the need to sustain the commitments to the Africa
Development Agenda to complete âthe unfinished business of 2005â (as expressed
by Chancellor Gordon Brown) and agreed that they would approach Heads of State
and government to increase their involvement to accelerate the process to
complete the trade round.
Issued by: National Treasury
11 February 2006
