"Amid rising uncertainties and long-term structural shifts, we reaffirm our full commitment to multilateralism, and a rules-based, non-discriminatory, free, fair, open, inclusive, equitable and transparent multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization at its core," they said.
Asian finance ministers and central bankers called for unity and reaffirmed their commitment to fair and free trade amid rising protectionism that they said weighs on the global economy.
"We call for enhanced regional unity and cooperation as we endeavor to weather the heightened uncertainty," officials from Japan, China, South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) said in a statement on Sunday in Milan, on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank.
