Why is Azerbaijan in no hurry to join WTO?
Before joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), Azerbaijan should rearrange its production spheres and make them more export-oriented, a source in the Azerbaijani government told Trend Feb. 23.
The source noted that joining the WTO presently won't give Azerbaijan the advantages that most members of the organization have.
"The WTO creates the most acceptable conditions for exporting countries," the source said. "Presently, oil and oil products predominate in the structure of our exports. Given that having joined the WTO, we will get preferences for the export of products worth only about $3.5 billion [considering the current non-oil exports value], but we will have to provide privileges for the import of products worth $9 billion, the issue of WTO accession may become the most relevant for Azerbaijan after increasing the non-oil exports. Presently, the membership in the WTO isn't so important for Azerbaijan, but it will become interesting for us in the future."
The source added that Azerbaijan continues negotiations on accession to the WTO, both in bilateral and multilateral formats.
"We have already completed negotiations with a number of countries, but the talks still continue with the leading WTO member countries," the source said. "The status of Azerbaijan in the WTO remains the main issue, that is, whether we will join the WTO as a developed or developing country. In order to protect the local producer, during the negotiations, Azerbaijan is seeking to enter the WTO with the status of a developing country, which will allow Azerbaijan to continue providing more significant financial support to the economy."
Azerbaijan launched negotiations with the WTO member states in 2004. As of today, the country has completed negotiations and signed protocols with Turkey, Oman, the UAE, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. Azerbaijan is at the stage of signing protocols with China and Moldova.
Azerbaijan has had an observer status at the WTO since 1997.
Increase of social benefits in Azerbaijan to affect over 500,000 people
The orders of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev "On increasing the amount of social benefits", "On increasing the amount of benefits for women with more than five children" and "On increasing the amount of benefits for those on a partially paid social leave to take care of their children" dated Feb. 23, 2018, will affect about 560,000 people, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population said in a message on Feb. 24.
For the payment of the corresponding increments to the specified social benefits, about 23.2 million manats will be allocated from the state budget by the end of the year, while additional funds worth up to 1.7 million manats will be allocated from the budget of the State Social Protection Fund under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population.
The ministry reminded that in accordance with the decrees and orders signed recently by the Azerbaijani president, presidential pensions for war veterans and families of martyrs, persons awarded the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan, disabled persons of the first group, persons of certain categories who participated in the Great Patriotic War, the disabled persons of 20 January events, the families of servicemen who were killed while performing international duty as part of the Soviet troops in Afghanistan, as well as presidential scholarships for honorary and personal titles will be increased starting from March 1, 2018.