Pacific Nations to dig deep into their pockets to keep WTO office in Geneva running after EU's proposal to cease its funding

Countries of the Pacific will have to pay if they want to keep their office open at World Trade Organisation headquarters in Geneva.

Funding of the office and the Pacific permanent representative to the WTO was met by the European Union over the last three years.

Chief trade adviser of the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat, Dr Roman Grynberg, says EU funding is about to cease and the islands of the Pacific must now meet the cost of maintaining the office.

"That office has been very important to us in assuring that we have a voice at the WTO," he said.

"If you don't have a voice, how does it go if you're absent, you are always wrong, and so it is vital that we continue."

Source: Radio Australia