Customs Union members to facilitate Belarus' entry into WTO

NSK. November 5. KAZINFORM Belarus' accession to the World Trade Organization can be accelerated if other Customs Union member states join the organization sooner, said Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Guryanov as he presented a bill on ratifying the treaty on the Customs Union's operation in a multilateral trade system on 4 November.

Accoridng to BelTA, the official believes that if Russia and Kazakhstan join the WTO sooner than Belarus does, they will help Belarus join the organization. He added that the WTO is expected to decide on Russia's accession in December.

Russia is working hard to join the WTO fast, said Alexander Guryanov. All the confirming documents have been acquired. The last session of the working group on Russia's accession to the WTO is supposed to take place in November 2011. A WTO ministerial conference will take place in Geneva in December. Russia's accession to the WTO may be authorized then.

Belarus and Kazakhstan continue putting efforts into joining the WTO. "Unfortunately, we are advancing at a different pace but our steps are coordinated," said the Deputy Foreign Minister. A single delegation of the Customs Union member states has been set up to negotiate their accession to the WTO. "It is clearly understood that Customs Union member states should be in WTO. It will raise the respect for our integration association," remarked Alexander Guryanov.

To learn more go to www.bbc.co.uk