BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

23/06/2010

Belarus most economically advanced for WTO entry

Belarus is one of the most economically advanced countries out of those preparing to enter the World Trade Organization, said Bozkurt Aran, Permanent Representative of Turkey to the WTO, Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of Belarus, as he met with Belarus Vice Premier Andrei Kobyakov on 22 June.

He remarked that accelerating Belarus' accession is the key task of the visit of the working party to Minsk. As part of the visit several intensive meetings with representatives of Belarusian agencies and ministries have been held.

Bozkurt Aran also stressed that there is no doubt that Belarus plays a very essential role in preserving the international peace and security in Europe. Belarus' achievements in this area are well-known. This is why all the WTO member-states are interested in Belarus' accession. "Accession to the WTO is an absolutely natural step for a country able to increase its export by 20% a year," said Bozkurt Aran.

Speaking about the meetings that have been held in Belarus to discuss its accession to the WTO, the Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of Belarus stressed that the talks had been informative. "I think we have reached sufficient mutual understanding," he said.

In turn, Andrei Kobyakov stressed that Belarus is pleased with the Working Party's prompt acceptance of the invitation to visit Belarus. "I think your participation in the process will contribute to ensuring substantial progress in the negotiations," said the Vice Premier of Belarus.

Bozkurt Aran noted that the process of Belarus' accession to the WTO had already started. "The rest depends not only on Belarus which is expected to make a certain contribution, but also on the WTO member states that should complete their part of the work. Therefore, I cannot specify when it will happen, but it should happen soon. I am convinced that it can be done within a short period of time," he said.

The Chairman of the Working Party emphasized that the accession rules are very stringent - everything should be done correctly from the legal standpoint. He expressed confidence about the success of the process. He noted that the WTO prepares and accepts legally binding documents. This is why the accession to this organization turns out to be a lengthy and complicated process for many countries. To become WTO member, a country should bring its legislation in compliance with the WTO rules.

Bozkurt Aran has no doubts that Belarus will become a full member of the World Trade Organization. He reminded that the ongoing visit to Minsk is aimed to speed up the process of Belarus' accession to the WTO. During the visit, the sides held a number of fruitful discussions and received a great amount of valuable information.

Source:

http://www.isria.com/pages/23_June_2010_166.php


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