Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr I. Khalilova / The first meeting of the new-staff State Committee on Azerbaijan's Joining WTO (World Trade Organization) has been fixed to 6 June, the head of the Secretariat, Adalat Muradov, reported on 30 May.
The new staff of the State Commission still headed by the Azerbaijani Economic Development Minister, Heydar Baabyev was approved by the Azerbaijani President's decree on 2 April, 2007. The State Comission now includes Deputy Ministers and Heads of Sate Committees.
The main points in the agenda of the meeting are informing of the activities carried out in accordance with the President's decree on implementation of national legislation and bringing it to international and European standards. According to Muradov, some 40 juridical regulations and decrees have to be developed by the end of June. They include changes in the Law on Currency Management, Law on Excise Rates, Law on Veterinary, Law on Health, Tax Code, regulations on assessment of products' value at customs units, definition of the products' origin country, new Laws on Technical Management and on Patent, and so on.
"During the unification of legislation we face some problems related to insufficiency in staff aware of WTO requirements. Meanwhile, some 15 draft juridical regulations have been developed but they have to be translated into English and sent to international expertise," Muradov said. The US Chamber of Commerce, TACIS, and several other organizations have offered their assistance in donor translation.
Besides unification of legislation, the head of the talks group on joining WTO, Mahmoud Mammadguliyev, will speak on the level of talks with WTO countries at the meeting.
Presentation of the site to provide data on preparation process for Azerbaijan's joining WTO will be held at the meeting.