Belarus has updated several documents for joining the World Trade Organization. By its resolution No. 782 of 23 August 2012, the Council of Ministers approved the regulations of Belarus’ Inter-agency Commission on the WTO, as well as the line-up of the working secretariat of the commission.
According to the resolution, within three months the commission has to agree the line-up of the Inter-agency Expert Group on Belarus’ cooperation with the WTO. As the Council of Ministers informs, the resolution also makes some amendments and changes to the resolution No. 1338 of 27 August 1999.
The Inter-agency Commission will be in charge of developing the negotiating capacity, arrangement and conduct of negotiations on joining the WTO. The Commission will also prepare the basic documentation in regard with consulting and negotiating, and will coordinate Belarus’ position on joining the WTO with the partner states in integration organizations. The redrafted resolution defines the cooperation between the partners from other integration associations in details. While preparing the documentation for the WTO, they analyze the regulations of national and international legislative acts, including the ones of the Customs Union, and the Common Economic Space in regard with their compliance with the WTO rules.
The resolution also states that the WTO joining documents should provide accession conditions that would be acceptable for Belarus.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus together with the other state authorities is responsible for cooperation with the WTO bodies. Deputy Director of Department, Head of the Foreign Trade Policy Office of the Foreign Economic Activities Department of Belarusian Foreign Ministry Igor Nazaruk is the head of the working secretariat of Belarus’ Inter-agency Commission on the WTO.
As Telegraf reported, on August 21st the President Alexander Lukashenko stated that life itself makes Belarus to run a massive program, which will allow the country to join the WTO on more favorable terms. “Tomorrow we will be in the WTO. Russia, that giant, has already smashed into it. Are you saying that we will fence ourselves off?” the President said.
Kazakhstan may join the WTO next year, as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan to Belarus Yergali Bulegenovich stated on August 23rd. The Ambassador expresses hope that the measures, taken by Kazakhstan and Belarus, will allow Russia's WTO membership to affect the Customs Union partners least negatively.
In August this year Russia has officially become the member of the WTO. One of the main tasks that Russia sets for itself after joining the World Trade Organization is to support Kazakhstan and Belarus in their entering the international organization.
