Cautious optimism at high-stakes World Trade Organization meet

The World Trade Organization chief voiced cautious optimism Sunday as global trade ministers gathered to tackle food security threatened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, overfishing and equitable access to Covid vaccines.

Opening the WTO's first ministerial meeting in nearly five years, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said to "expect a rocky, bumpy road with a few landmines along the way".

But she told journalists she was "cautiously optimistic" that the more than 100 attending ministers would manage to agree on at least one or two of a long line of pressing issues, and that would be "a success". The WTO faces pressure to eke out long-sought trade deals on a range of issues and show unity amid the still raging pandemic and an impending global hunger crisis.

But since the global trade body only makes decisions by consensus, it can be more than tricky to reach agreements.

Top of the agenda at the four-day meeting is the toll Russia's war in Ukraine, traditionally a breadbasket that feeds hundreds of millions of people, is having on food security.

Walkout

Tensions ran high during a closed-door session, where a number of delegates took the floor to condemn Russia's war in Ukraine, including Kyiv's envoy, who was met with a standing ovation, WTO spokesman Dan Pruzin told journalists.

Then, right before Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov spoke, around three dozen delegates "walked out", he said.

Even before the conference began, the European Union gathered representatives from 57 countries for a show solidarity with Ukraine, with EU trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis slamming Russia's "illegal and barbaric aggression"

Despite the contentious atmosphere, ministers are expected to agree on a joint declaration on strengthening food security, in which they will "commit to take concrete steps to facilitate trade and improve the functioning and longterm resilience of global markets for food and agriculture".

According to the draft text, countries would vow that "particular consideration will be given to the specific needs and circumstances of developing country Members".