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STORY: WTO / LAO PDR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT
TRT: 4:31
SOURCE: WTO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 02 DECEMBER 2021, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
02 DECEMBER 2021, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. Zoom in, WTO headquarters exterior
2. Pan left, WTO logo at entrance
3. Pan left, Deputy Director-General Anabel González arrives for press conference
4. Wide shot, officials ahead of press conference
5. Med shot, González and Latsamy Keomany, Ambassador of Lao People's Democratic Republic to the WTO talk ahead of press conference
6. Med shot, González and Keomany talk ahead of press conference
7. Wide shot, officials ahead of press conference
8. Med shot, González and Keomany talk ahead of press conference
9. Med shot, Keomany and Ambassador Li Chenggang of China talk ahead of press conference
10. Wide shot, press conference under way
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Anabel González, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO):
“On behalf of the WTO, I would like to express our warmest congratulations to the delegation of the Lao PDR and, through you, to Lao PDR's government and people on your ITA and ITA 2 participation.”
12. Close up, screen showing online press conference
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Anabel González, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO):
“Lao PDR has very clearly chosen to embrace trade opening, and he has done so because it believes that the Multilateral Trading System works. Time, then, now for WTO members to fulfill the promises of trade opening by ensuring that Lao PDR and its people enjoy the tangible benefits and reap the rewards of their trade opening, which in turn will surely inspire others to follow Lao PDR and, I repeat myself, exemplary example.”
14. Med shot, participants during press conference.
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Anabel González, Deputy Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO):
”Investment opportunities are important in Lao PDR, and it is very important: this participation in the ITA is a key step for Lao to join global value chains. I believe that Lao PDR future success in this regard will tell the most persuasive and convincing tale of the many benefits and successes of trade opening in general and of participating in the ITA and ITA 2 to expansion.”
16. Close up, screen showing online press conference
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Latsamy Keomany, Ambassador of Lao People's Democratic Republic to the World Trade Organization (WTO):
“We are witnessing the official announcement of joining ITA one and two agreements, combined with having an attractive investment promotion law.”
18. Close up, Ambassador Li takes notes
19. SOUNDBITE (English) Latsamy Keomany, Ambassador of Lao People's Democratic Republic to the World Trade Organization (WTO):
“This is a momentous occasion also to witness our nation to be an integral part to a multilateral trading system that was mentioned already by DDG WTO. On this occasion, on behalf of the Lao PDR government, I would like to reassure that this is the ending, the beginning, which we will do our utmost effort to fully and effectively implement all commitments to these agreements. We strongly believe that a conducive legal and policy framework as well as a conducive to business environment and ease to do business will help us to attract more trade and investment in ICT, thus contributing to achieve our digital economy and digital transformation agendas.”
20. Wide shot, officials at podium during press conference
21. Close up, González during press conference
22. Close up, Li during press conference
23. Close up, Keomany during press conference
24. Med shot, officials at podium during press conference
25. Med shot, González during press conference
26. Med shot, participants during press conference
27. Close up, participants during press conference
28. Pan right, press conference under way
29. Med shot, officials at podium during press conference
30. Med shot, González and Keomany at podium during press conference
31. Close up, European Union deputy Ambassador Hiddo Houben
32. Med shot, officials at podium during press conference
33. Wide shot, press conference under way
34. Zoom in, Keomany during press conference
35. Wide shot, press conference under way
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) has become a member of both the WTO’s Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and ITA Expansion (ITA II), making it the first least developed country to join these agreements.
At a press conference in Geneva today (02 Dec), Lao PDR announced that it had finalised the domestic legislative procedures necessary to implement tariff reduction commitments starting from 1 January 2022. Deputy – Director General Anabel Gonzalez, Ambassador Chenggang LI of China and Mr. Hiddo Houben, Deputy Permanent Representative of the EU Mission also spoke at the Press Conference as guest speakers.
This announcement follows the approval of Lao PDR's ITA and ITA Expansion Schedules at the ITA Committee and the 2015 ITA Expansion Group meetings on 17 November.
