The State Commission on Preparation for Joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) is to send answers on questions put by member-countries of this organization to the WTO Secretariat in Geneva till the end of August beginning of September, the Head of Group negotiated with WTO, Deputy Foreign Minister Makhmud Mammadguliyev told Trend.
According to him, the preparation of proposals is underway in accordance with the plan. As soon as the proposals are approved by the Commission, they will be submitted to the WTO Secretariat to prepare the basic report of Factorial Summary. That will include the information about Azerbaijan`s activity over this period. The report will be the basis for preparation of other documents in future, including the final report concerning Azerbaijan.
According to M. Mammadguliyev, the preliminary document is to be agreed with the working group till the fifth round of talks on Azerbaijan`s joining WTO that is to be held at the end of October November 2006. The countries, which members are parts of the working group should express their opinion towards the report. It should be mentioned that it is for the first time over the whole history of talks when two meetings at once will be held in a year, pointed out the Deputy Minister.
Azerbaijan has hold four meetings with WTO until now. The first two meetings were devoted to discussing of foreign trade regime issues. Since 2005 during the last two meetings the country has begun full-scale negotiations. The bilateral negotiations are aimed at issues connected with goods and services access to Azerbaijan market, the multilateral talks are aimed at internal support of agriculture and export subsidies in this field.
Within the multilateral talks questions are put by Canada, US, EU, Turkey and Japan. For the preparation for bilateral talks questions from US, Canada, EU, Australia, Japan and Chine have been received.
US and Canada are first of all interested in licensing, tariff policy, custom legislation, intellectual property rights issues. WTO member-states want to make it clear for themselves how much Azerbaijan tariff policy is liberal and transparent and how it corresponds with the todays requirements. By the WTO request a unified regime for import and local goods and services to be introduced in Azerbaijan.
EU and US points imply maximum obligations on custom tariffs by the country-candidate on entering WTO.