TODAY.AZ / Business

UN to asses Azerbaijan's readiness to implement WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation

27 April 2017 [15:00] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan is still negotiating its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). 

The UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will complete a report on Azerbaijan's readiness to start implementing the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation in early July, the agency said.

The report will be ready before the next meeting of the working group within the framework of Azerbaijan's accession to the WTO.

The WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation entered into force on February 22, 2017.

“The government of Azerbaijan asked for support from UNECE and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in order to assess the country's readiness to start implementing the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation. The issue was at the center of discussions at an opening seminar organized jointly by UNECE and UNCTAD, the Ministry of Economy and GIZ from March 29-30,” the message said.

Consequently, the seminar recommended that the assessment present a categorization of the 36 measures contained in the WTO. They will be divided into three categories: Measures that are ready; Measures that need further work, but can be implemented by Azerbaijan alone; and Measures for which more time and international assistance would be needed.

Azerbaijan holds a status as observer country at the WTO since 1997. The Azerbaijani working group under the WTO secretariat was established on July 16, 1997.

The country has begun negotiations with the WTO member countries in 2004.

Azerbaijan has accomplished negotiations and signed protocols with Turkey, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan and is at the stage of signing the protocol with China and Moldova.

The WTO is the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments.

The set of non-discriminatory trading rules embedded in the WTO agreements has the characteristics of a global public good, and the WTO, as the main institutional framework for the conduct of trade relations, directly contributes to development and to the fight against world poverty.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/business/160604.html

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