(REGNUM) - Unfortunately, there are people in the Ukrainian government who do not struggle for the country's joining WTO but impede the process. And, unfortunately, this today has nothing to do with the domestic manufacturer. This is really connected to geopolitics, chair of the subcommittee of the Supreme Rada for the regulatory policy and entrepreneurship Ksenia Lyapina told REGNUM correspondent in Kiev Nov 7. Lyapina did not mention particular names of officials who impede the process of joining WTO, she merely maintained that the process is directly dependent on private agreements between Ukrainian and Russian sides.
If Ukraine joins WTO earlier than Russia, it will be able to get in the working group for Russia's joining WTO and articulate relevant requirements toward its northern neighbor, which is not at all liked by Russia. I do not know how to solve the problem; at least, Ukraine could sign some joint agreement with Russia providing that we will not create any additional conditions for each other and impede the processes of joining WTO. But the fact is that Russia today is much more distant from WTO than Ukraine, for Russia has not yet settled issues with the main player at WTO the US. We have settled all the issues, Lyapina said.
According to Lyapina, the Russian side fights trade wars with Ukraine, and joining WTO may put an end to this. As an example of a trade war Lyapina brings Russia's banning Ukrainian meat imports. A great geopolitical game is under way. But there is no way for Ukraine to retreat. If we stop at the roadside,' it will be then more and more difficult for us to joint WTO, Lyapina concluded.
November 6, first vice prime minister, minister of finance of Ukraine Nikolay Azarov said at meeting with ambassador of Great Britain to Ukraine Timothy Barrow that Ukraine could be ready to join the WTO in late January-early February 2007. October 27 in Helsinki, president of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko said he was sure that the Supreme Rada of Ukraine would adopt the packet of bills related to joining WTO until November 20, which would allow the country to join the organization before the end of 2006. Prime minister of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich stated that as early as in November the Supreme Rada would be able to ratify major bills required to join WTO. According to the plan of immediate measures of combating crisis in economic and social spheres developed by the government of Yanukovich, finalizing of the multilateral and bilateral negotiation process with countries-members of the working group for considering Ukraine's application to join WTO is planned for December 2006, reports Trend.