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MFA: Belarus’ WTO accession talks on schedule

MINSK, 15 October (BelTA) - Negotiations on Belarus' accession to the World Trade Organization are going according to plan. A series of consultations with the United States has been scheduled for October, Belarus’ First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Yeudachenka told reporters before the meeting of the Presidium of the Council of Ministers to discuss ways of increasing and diversifying exports, BelTA has learned.

“Everything is going according to plan. In terms of bilateral agreements we are yet to negotiate with about five or six countries, the main [negotiators] - the United States and the European Union,” Andrei Yeudachenka informed.

According to him, a series of consultations with the United States will be held in Washington in October. The parties will discuss both systemic issues, commitments of Belarus, which are reflected in the report of the working group, and also the bilateral agreements and access to the market of goods and services.

The last round of systemic talks with the participation of all interested members of the working group on Belarus' accession to the World Trade Organization will take place in Geneva in December, Andrei Yeudachenka informed. Before that, the Belarusian side will hold a meeting of the inter-agency commission on WTO accession and a meeting with the prime minister to agree on the final positions for these negotiations.

As Economy Minister Dmitry Krutoi informed earlier, Belarus intends to finish the process of joining the World Trade Organization in June 2020.

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