Kazakhstan Aims To Join WTO In 2013

by Tatiana Smolenskaya, Tax-News.com, Moscow

18 December 2012

Kazakhstan hopes to have received the necessary approvals to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2013, the nation's Minister for Economic Integration, Zhanar Aitzhanova, told the recent, 14th meeting of the Working Party in charge of overseeing the nation's accession.

Discussions during the Working Party's meeting focused on outstanding issues, relating to Kazakhstan's investment regime, government procurement practices, application of tariff-rate quotas, import licensing procedures, and intellectual property protection.

Members attending the meeting expressed hope that Kazakhstan will have implemented the necessary rules and frameworks to join the global trade body in 2013. The Working Party Chair, Vesa Himanen (Finland), said that Kazakhstan is progressing well in its bilateral negotiations with individual WTO members on special requests for market access for goods and services, stating these are at an "advanced stage".

On behalf of the nation, Aitzhanova said that the intensity of working party meetings and negotiations in 2012 was a testament to the positive momentum in Kazakhstan’s accession process, and expressed a commitment to finalize all outstanding issues in the New Year.

Kazakhstan applied to accede to the World Trade Organization in January 1996. The Working Party held its first meeting subsequently, in February 1996. As part of its accession bid, the nation will have to commit to bring its trading regime in line with WTO rules, and agree to limit its trade tariffs.

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