WASHINGTON, March 11 (Reuters) - Vice President Kamala
Harris and the head of the World Trade Organization agreed on
Thursday about the need to reform the global trade body and
pledged to work together to boost momentum for the global
economy, the White House said.
Harris, the first Black and Asian U.S. vice president and
the first woman to hold the office, offered strong support to
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the first African and first woman to head
the Geneva-based organization, in a phone call on Thursday, the
White House said. Okonjo-Iweala is a former Nigerian finance
minister.
"They committed to work together to address the economic and
health consequences of COVID-19 and climate change, and to
prioritize resilience in the global supply chain," the White
House statement said.
The two leaders also agreed on the importance of leveraging
trade to promote equity and economic growth, as well as the role
that improved living standards, labor rights, human rights and
the well-being of working families should play in setting
policy.
"The Vice President highlighted the priority of the United
States to invest in health and technology as engines for growth
and to advance sustainable development," it added.
The Senate is expected to vote next week to confirm
President Joe Biden's nominee as his chief trade negotiator,
longtime congressional staffer Katherine Tai.
The Senate Finance Committee voted last week to advance
Tai's nomination to the full Senate on a voice vote, indicating
no significant opposition.