Azerbaijan to submit answers to WTO questions until end of January

Azerbaijan to submit answers to WTO questions until end of January

Azerbaijan to submit to WTO answers to next questions of WTO members until end of January.

The Azerbaijani government continues the process of negotiations within the frames of process of reception by the country of full membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Makhmud Mammadguliyev informed that preparation of answers to the questions, which members of working group for Azerbaijan had  after the round of multilateral negotiations with WTO, took place in July, 2009, was finished practically at present.

“The answers will be presented to the WTO Secretariat until the end of January. As the result, we will have theoretical opportunity to hold a next meeting of the working group as early as in March- April.

Bilateral negotiations with members of WTO should precede it,” M. Mammadguliyev said.

The Azerbaijani government hopes that it will   succeed in conducting the next event with WTO early 2010.

On July 21-22, bipartite negotiations were held on WTO membership conditions with the United States and the European Union. On July 23, negotiations concerning issues of internal support of farm producers took place and involved reps of the US, Canada, Australia, Turkey, other countries and the European Commission. In them Azerbaijan presented Table ACC/4.

Azerbaijan appreciated positively the first round of multilateral negotiations with the World Trade Organization (WTO) on inner support of agriculture, took place in Geneva on 23 June.

A meeting considered presented by Azerbaijan the table on inner support of agriculture on the basis of date for 2005-2007, which the WTO members did not remark, but asked to specify some issues.

Today, the issue on privileges, which the county will gain on “yellow’ basket of inner subsidization, becomes important. Referring itself to developing countries, Azerbaijan will claim for level of subsidies not less than 10% of goods cost of agriculture production.  In addition, the country can rely on definite amount of AMC subsidies. In the government’s opinion, this sum could be more, than now. The country informed WTO of its position concerning this issue and expects reaction from its members.

Since 1997, Azerbaijan has observer status at WTO.