MOSCOW, 14 February (BelTA) - The member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) expressed support for the negotiation process on Belarus' accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), BelTA learned from the press service of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) following the meeting of the working group on interaction between the EAEU member states and the EEC on the World Trade Organization.
“All countries have expressed support for Belarus’ negotiation process to join the World Trade Organization,” Member of the Board (Minister) for Trade of the Eurasian Economic Commission Andrei Slepnev said at the end of the meeting.
The working group met ahead of the WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Abu Dhabi at the end of February. “It is important for us now, when all WTO members are actively discussing the harmonization of final decisions and declaration, to exchange information on the progress of multilateral negotiations and to reconcile the approaches of our states to the consideration of issues on the agenda of the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference, especially those issues that are directly related to the competence of the EEC and the EAEU,” Andrei Slepnev said.
The participants of the meeting agreed on the need to ensure the full functioning of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body and to conduct negotiations on the reform of the WTO dispute settlement system based on the principles of openness, inclusiveness and transparency.
General attention was given to the importance of discussing transit issues and taking into account the interests of landlocked states, including during the WTO Committee on Trade Facilitation special sessions on transit activities.
The working group on interaction between the EAEU member states and the Eurasian Economic Commission on the World Trade Organization was established in 2021. The working group includes representatives of the government bodies of the EAEU countries responsible for cooperation with the WTO.
