<p>The World Trade Organization said Thursday that a planned ministerial conference in Kazakhstan in June would "not be feasible" due to the coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p>"It is our considered view that holding MC12 (the 12th Ministerial Conference) as previously agreed from 8-11 June will not be feasible," WTO chief Roberto Azevedo said in a note circulated to member states and sent to the media.</p>.<p>WTO said it had reached the conclusion after consultations with the government of Kazakhstan, who had asked that members "revisit the decision" to hold the conference in its capital Nur-Sultan in June.</p>.<p>The final decision will meanwhile be up to member states, and the WTO said a special General Council meeting would be held "as soon as conditions permit" to discuss "how to proceed with revised arrangements for MC12."</p>.<p>That could meanwhile take a while.</p>.<p>Earlier this week, the global trade body said it would suspend all meetings until March 20 after one of its staff members contracted the new coronavirus.</p>.<p>Given the worsening situation in Switzerland, where more than 800 people have been infected and four have died, that suspension could easily be prolonged.</p>
<p>The World Trade Organization said Thursday that a planned ministerial conference in Kazakhstan in June would "not be feasible" due to the coronavirus pandemic.</p>.<p>"It is our considered view that holding MC12 (the 12th Ministerial Conference) as previously agreed from 8-11 June will not be feasible," WTO chief Roberto Azevedo said in a note circulated to member states and sent to the media.</p>.<p>WTO said it had reached the conclusion after consultations with the government of Kazakhstan, who had asked that members "revisit the decision" to hold the conference in its capital Nur-Sultan in June.</p>.<p>The final decision will meanwhile be up to member states, and the WTO said a special General Council meeting would be held "as soon as conditions permit" to discuss "how to proceed with revised arrangements for MC12."</p>.<p>That could meanwhile take a while.</p>.<p>Earlier this week, the global trade body said it would suspend all meetings until March 20 after one of its staff members contracted the new coronavirus.</p>.<p>Given the worsening situation in Switzerland, where more than 800 people have been infected and four have died, that suspension could easily be prolonged.</p>