Opinions & Interviews

Belarus ready for compromises on way to WTO without hurting national interests

Photo courtesy of the Belarusian government press service

MINSK, 11 July (BelTA) – As part of the process to join the World Trade Organization Belarus is ready to look for compromises, which do not contradict national interests of the country. First Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Aleksandr Turchin made the statement at the 12th meeting of the working party on Belarus’ accession to the World Trade Organization in Geneva on 11 July, the press service of the Belarusian government told BelTA.

Aleksandr Turchin informed participants of the meeting about the development of the Belarusian economy, about the headway made on the way to joining the WTO, and about results achieved since the previous meeting of the working party in February 2019. Aleksandr Turchin called for WTO member states to support Belarus’ efforts to join the WTO as soon as possible, which may happen during the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in June 2020.

Representatives of more than 50 WTO member states took part in the meeting. In their speeches representatives of the USA, the European Union, Russia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, India, China, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Vietnam, Canada, Turkey, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Salvador, Georgia, and other countries supported the steps the Belarusian government takes to join the WTO and said they were ready to work hard with Belarus in 2019 in order to complete the negotiation process as soon as possible.

Participants of the meeting discussed a draft report of the working party. The Belarusian delegation gave answers to all the questions. After receiving written questions from WTO members Belarus will prepare a new revision of the working party’s draft report. It will be considered at the next meeting of the working party sometime in late 2019.

The Belarusian delegation included Economy Minister Dmitry Krutoi, Finance Minister Maksim Yermolovich, Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade Minister Vladimir Koltovich, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Yeudachenka as well as representatives of the Agriculture and Food Ministry, the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus, the Justice Ministry, the Healthcare Ministry, the Communications and Informatization Ministry, the Industry Ministry, the State Customs Committee, the State Standardization Committee, the state food industry concern Belgospishcheprom, the state light industry concern Bellegprom, the National Center of Intellectual Property, and the permanent mission of the Republic of Belarus to the United Nations office and other international organizations in Geneva.

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