Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend I.Khalilova / The State Commission stated, in its planning for Azerbaijan's entrance into the World Trade Organization (WTO) considered the necessity to intensify the process of membership on more favorable conditions. Mahmud Mammadguliyev, the Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister who also heads the working group, stated that the key task is to intensify talks on a bilateral and multi-lateral basis with WTO members as well as a meeting of the working group.
The next 5th round of talks on Azerbaijan's entrance into the WTO will depend upon submission of its response to questions presented by member-countries to the WTO Secretariat.
The Deputy Minister said that a meeting of the working group may also be considered as multilateral talks, as representatives from 35-40 world countries and different WTO member-countries had participated in meetings.
WTO member-countries requested additional information on question presented to Azerbaijan. The intensification of the process will depend upon the implementation of a program which necessitated adjusting the Azerbaijan's legislation to WTO standards, international standards and agreements signed within the framework of the WTO.
In accordance with the action plan, changes to the legislation should be carried out in one or two years with a major emphasis being made in 2007. In the near future it is planned to hold a presentation of positive aspects of Azerbaijan's membership at the WTO.