MINSK, 19 February (BelTA) – Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan are getting ready to start negotiations on entering the World Trade Organization together as the Customs Union. The statement was made by Anton Kudasov, Deputy Director of the Foreign Trade Department of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry, at a press conference on 19 February. Anton Kudasov reminded that the governments of the three countries had decided to enter the WTO as the single customs territory. Following the decision Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan suspended independent talks with the WTO. “We have composed a single negotiating team of the three countries and have held the relevant consultations with WTO member-states. We have asked them about what would be advisable in order to continue the talks in the Customs Union format,” said the Foreign Ministry representative. The WTO member-states believe the transparency of the Customs Union to be of utmost importance and have requested detailed information about it. The information is nearly ready. “Our negotiating team met with WTO officials in Geneva yesterday. We reached an agreement regarding the actions we should take and we agreed that the information about the Customs Union will be mailed after it is adjusted taking into account the expressed remarks within the next several weeks,” said the Foreign Ministry representative. The information is supposed to be studied within 4-6 weeks. “After that the decision to resume the troika’s negotiations on WTO entry will be resumed,” added Anton Kudasov. The official remarked that the countries had already tried negotiating the WTO entry independently and the process took a long time. He suggested avoiding speculating about possible difficulties regarding the Customs Union’s accession to the WTO. “Let’s try to begin the joint entry process for starters,” said Anton Kudasov. In his words, from the pragmatic point of view WTO member-states are interested in making the WTO larger with such a vast territory the Customs Union is. БЕЛТА
Written by belta.by
