Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend I.Khalilova / By the end of the year, the American Government plans to start a technical assistance project to bring Azerbaijan's legislation into conformity with the requirements of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a government source stated on 14 July. Some $3.7mln has been allocated for this goal in line with USAID.
Over ten of a total 40 new legislative acts and changes to existing standard documents have been developed, whilst only draft changes to the Law on Currency Regulation has been submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers.
There have been changes to the laws on Patent, Trade Brands and Geographical Marks, on Copyrights and Combined Rules, on Standards Juridical Acts, as well as a bill on Technical Regulations and changes to the decree by the Cabinet of Ministers.
At present the key task is the change of national legislation, because these measures are to be completed by the end of 2007 by presidential decree.
Over the last three years the United States rendered technical assistance to the development of documents and offered consultative services for Azerbaijan's admission to the WTO. This was through the US Trade and Development Department.
The last consultations were given under a grant agreement of $981,000 signed in 2005. The first similar agreement was signed three years ago in the amount of $1.943mln.