Germany's Merkel calls for strengthened WTO

HANOVER: 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.

"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.