President Wavel Ramkalawan also took the opportunity to have an exchange with the Director General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in the margins of the Summit where he congratulated her on her latest appointment at the helm of the Organization. She is the first African woman to assume such a position.

Since Seychelles will this year have its WTO Trade Policy Review in December, the President solicited the support of the organization and its members for a swift and very conclusive review, that takes into context the specificities of SIDS and the issue of Special and Differential Treatment.

During their discussions, they touched on the issues of fisheries subsidies and the TRIP waiver for the production of vaccines by other WTO members. President Ramkalawan reassured her of the full support of Seychelles. 

Preliminary preparations for the Trade Policy Review is underway and a WTO team is expected to visit Seychelles next month in March.