Lithuania is contributing €30,000, approximately CHF 28,000, to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Global Trust Fund in 2026 to support training programmes for government officials from developing economies, including Nigeria, and least-developed countries.
The contribution will help officials from beneficiary countries deepen their knowledge of WTO rules and trade-related issues while improving their ability to participate effectively in the rules-based multilateral trading system.
The WTO Global Trust Fund finances a range of capacity-building programmes, primarily delivered at the regional level, covering various areas of international trade.
The training programmes, led by the WTO Secretariat, are designed to broaden the expertise of government officials on WTO matters, including members’ rights and obligations under WTO agreements.
They also seek to strengthen officials’ capacity to negotiate trade rules and advance their countries’ domestic economic and trade interests.
More than 13,000 participants took part in WTO technical assistance activities in 2025, with officials from least-developed countries accounting for 29 per cent of the beneficiaries.
Lithuania’s WTO Ambassador, Raimondas Alisauskas, said the contribution was intended to help developing countries build resilience amid challenges facing the global trading system.
“As the international trading system faces serious challenges, we hope that Lithuania’s support will help developing countries strengthen their resilience to external shocks and develop their services and digital trade,” he said.
“In addition to financial support, Lithuania is ready to deepen partnerships and share its experience, including the trade and economic reforms it has implemented.”
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed Lithuania’s contribution, saying it would strengthen the ability of developing economies and least-developed countries to participate more effectively in global trade.
“I warmly welcome Lithuania’s contribution, which will help strengthen the capacity of developing economies and LDCs to engage more effectively in global trade, creating new opportunities for growth, resilience, and improved livelihoods,” she said.
With the latest contribution, Lithuania’s total donations to the WTO Global Trust Fund since 2002 have risen to approximately CHF 475,000, equivalent to just over €510,000.
