BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

09/06/2009

Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan plan joint WTO bid

MOSCOW, June 9 (Reuters) - Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan will launch joint negotiations for World Trade Organisation (WTO) membership, abandoning separate accession talks, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.

Russia, the largest country outside the 153-member trade body, had been pushing for membership for well over a decade and the European Union's trade chief said last week the negotiations could finally be completed by the end of this year.

Kazakhstan started WTO talks in 1996 but has continuously put off the accession deadline.

Negotiations will now be started afresh, on the basis of a new customs zone between the three former Soviet states, their leaders said in a joint statement read out by Putin.

The leaders agreed 'to inform WTO about the intention to start WTO accession talks for the customs union of Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia as a single customs zone'.

The joint customs zone will be created from Jan. 1, 2010, the statement said.

Source:

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/06/09/afx6521453.html

Google
 


Partners:
Face.by Social Network
Face.by