European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed using closer cooperation with Pacific rim countries as a foundation to redesign the World Trade Organization (WTO), citing rising trade tensions and global fragmentation.
Speaking after an EU summit on Thursday, Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union and Pacific countries share a strong interest in structured trade cooperation, which could help revive the struggling WTO.
"The Asian countries want to have a structured cooperation with the European Union and the European Union wants the same," she told reporters. "Therefore, I said that we can think about this as a beginning of redesigning the WTO."
She added that such efforts would "show to the world that free trade with a large number of countries is possible."
Von der Leyen pointed to ongoing cooperation with members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which includes Australia, Canada, Chile, Singapore and others, as a potential model for wider global trade reform.
The WTO has faced growing challenges amid a wave of U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump and increasing geopolitical rifts that have stalled consensus on trade rules.
Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments ...
President Javier Milei has introduced a new labour reform proposal to Argentina’s Congress, aiming to address what his administration describes as a...
The global centre of political gravity is increasingly moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a development with significant implications for the So...
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Turkmenistan on 11–12 December to attend the International Peace and Security Forum in Ashgabat....
The South Caucasus is witnessing a notable recalibration of geopolitical alignments, with Azerbaijan and Armenia both pursuing strategic partnerships ...
Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments by Bangladesh’s top foreign affairs adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, that such an arrangement is strategically possible without India.
The global centre of political gravity is increasingly moving from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a development with significant implications for the South Caucasus and Central Asia.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Turkmenistan on 11–12 December to attend the International Peace and Security Forum in Ashgabat.
The South Caucasus is witnessing a notable recalibration of geopolitical alignments, with Azerbaijan and Armenia both pursuing strategic partnerships with global powers, including the United States and China.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo Tuesday (9 December) to protest against the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured on Wednesday, 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo.
In a dramatic Champions League clash at Baku’s Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Qarabağ grabbed an early lead, but Ajax staged a thrilling comeback to win 4-2.
At least 19 people were killed and 16 injured as two buildings collapased in Morocco's Fes city according to the state news agency.
Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian has begun a two day visit to Kazakhstan, with officials from both sides describing the trip as an opportunity to advance cooperation in trade, transport, industry, mining and cultural exchanges.
The White House has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump intends to maintain both a “good working relationship” with China and a “very strong alliance” with Japan, even as tensions between the two countries continue to rise.
Pakistan has indicated its openness to forming a regional bloc with Bangladesh without including India. The statement from Islamabad follows comments by Bangladesh’s top foreign affairs adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, that such an arrangement is strategically possible without India.
President Javier Milei has introduced a new labour reform proposal to Argentina’s Congress, aiming to address what his administration describes as a "rigid structure" that has hindered job creation in the country.
Torrential rain swept across the Gaza, flooding hundreds of tents and homes sheltering families displaced by years of conflict, raising concerns that the fragile truce may be cracking as authorities struggle to manage the growing humanitarian crisis.
In a significant shift in its foreign policy, China has unveiled a new policy paper promising no-strings-attached development support to Latin America and the Caribbean, signalling a major upgrade in its engagement with the region.
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