Director of thye department of trade negotiations of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade Maxim Medvedkov
Photo: Grigoriy Sobchenko
| Other Photos |
 |
|
 |
Ukraine, Russia and the WTO
Ukraine may complete the process for World Trade Organization accession by November of this year. There remain only formalities to carry out. That became clear yesterday at the session of the working group on Ukraine in Geneva. That group will meet again in October, which is expected to be its last meeting. Russian and Ukrainian diplomats do not expect that to complicate Russia's entry.
At the last meting of the working group, in June 2006, Ukraine agreed to pass 41 laws to bring its legislation inline with WTO standards. Its success was noted yesterday. Kyrgyzstan is the last country with which Ukraine has to complete bilateral negotiations. It is, therefore, likely that Ukraine will join the WTO sooner than Russia and will be able to demand bilateral negotiations with Russia before Russia is admitted. However, since Russia is Ukraine's largest trading partner, and there is already a free trade agreement between the two countries, Ukraine is not expected to hinder Russia's progress within the organization.
Georgia will not be an obstacle to Russia either. It has resumed bilateral negotiations with Russia, demanding the closure of customs checkpoints in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But Russia has chosen to discuss its working report in informal consultations that Georgia will not participate in. Formal consultations may begin in October.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of July 24, 2007
|
|
|
