UNITED NATIONS, Dec 19: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Monday he was relieved that the WTO ministerial session in Hong Kong did not end in failure and welcomed the “limited gains” made by negotiators on behalf of developing countries.

“The secretary general is relieved that the WTO meeting in Hong Kong did not end in failure as had been widely predicted,” a statement released by his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said.—AFP