Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 30 / Tend I. Khalilova /
Today, the Azerbaijani government is planning to submit a Factual Summary to the secretariat of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for subsequent distribution among members of the working group on Azerbaijan, head of the negotiating group, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammadguliyev told Trend on Tuesday.
"The WTO Secretariat has submitted this report for the Azerbaijani side's consideration last Friday setting a deadline for its return by October 30," he said.
The report on Azerbaijan's new proposals for member states is usually supplemented after the next procedure of questions and answers. The document is a report on the work carried out by Azerbaijan to join the WTO.
Earlier, the Azerbaijani government has submitted the replies to the questions of WTO member states to the Secretariat. It had prepared Factual Summary on this basis.
"These actions are made within the preparation for the next round of multilateral negotiations, to be held in early December," Mammadguliyev said. "Although preliminary talks were scheduled for the last week of November, they were postponed until early December at the U.S request."
Azerbaijan held bilateral talks with the U.S., EU, Norway, Canada, Ecuador and Japan during the ninth round of multilateral talks on Azerbaijan's membership of the WTO in February 2012. In addition, bilateral talks with the U.S., China, Canada and Brazil were held in Geneva on July 24-28.
Azerbaijan is in bilateral talks with the U.S., Japan, Brazil, Ecuador, Sri Lanka, European Union, Norway, India, South Korea, Taiwan Province of China, Canada, and Switzerland. Azerbaijan started talks in 2004.
Negotiations with Turkey, the Sultanate of Oman, United Arab Emirates, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan have been completed and protocols signed. The country is in the process of signing a protocol with Moldova which is still considering the document.
As part of the talks, Azerbaijan continues working on adjusting its national legislative base in accordance with the WTO requirements as well as on improving the current trade regime. About 40-50 legislative acts should meet the requirements of the organisation. Some points are still being examined.
The working group on Azerbaijan to the WTO was established on July 16, 1997. Azerbaijan has been represented at the World Trade Organisation as an observer since 1997.