Informal meeting of European Union ministers for trade to be held in Riga

At the meeting, the Ministers and the Secretary General of the World Trade Organisation, Roberto Azevêdo, will discuss multilateral trade issues with a special focus on the development of the post-Bali agenda before July this year and the steps required for the conclusion of the Doha Round of negotiations.

EU Ministers for Trade will also discuss the EU trade and investment policy, focusing on the current and potential benefits from the existing and future free trade agreements. This discussion will provide an opportunity for the Ministers to contribute to the debate on the strategy of the European Union's trade policy, expected to be updated by the European Commission before the autumn of 2015.

The Ministers for Trade will exchange opinions on the progress of negotiations on EU bilateral trade agreements. Commissioner Malmström will inform the Ministers about the course of talks with Japan and Vietnam. Special attention will be devoted to negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership Agreement (TTIP) and the issues of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS).