Germany's Merkel calls for strengthened WTO

[April 23, 2018]  HANOVER, Germany (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Monday for a new trade pact between the European Union and Mexico to be implemented quickly, adding that the World Trade Organisation should be strengthened in parallel with bilateral agreements.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers a speech during the opening ceremony of the Hannover Messe, the trade fair in Hanover, Germany April 22, 2018. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

"We know that with all the bilateral agreements, we also need to strengthen the WTO as such," she told reporters at the Hanover trade fair, adding that an abundance of bilateral deals reflected a lack of progress between WTO members since 1994.

"We need a multilateral agreement again. Because you can see that something has faltered," she said.

(Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Paul Carrel, editing by Thomas Escritt)

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