Free trade: World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy greets Financial Secretary Henry Tang in Geneva.

With its commitment to free trade and the technical competence of its trade policy officials, Hong Kong will contribute to the successful conclusion of the Doha Round negotiations, Financial Secretary Henry Tang says.

Attending a dinner hosted by World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy in Geneva last night, Mr Tang said free trade is key to improving the living standard of people in less-developed economies.

"While the Doha Round is yet to be concluded, we have come a long way since Cancun. It will be a pity if we cannot manage to pull it off in what seems to be the final stretch of negotiations," he said.

Mr Tang touched down in Geneva yesterday to start his duty visit to Europe. He attended a lunch meeting organised by Hong Kong's new Permanent Representative to the WTO, Martin Glass. Principal guests included member economies' WTO ambassadors and Hong Kong's Special Representative (European Community) in Brussels, Duncan Pescod.

Mr Tang will visit Bern today for meetings with the Federal Councillor and Federal Minister of Finance Hans-Rudolf Merz, and Swiss National Bank officials.