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On the Meeting of the WTO Informal group of acceding governments with the participation of the WTO Director-General

12.11.2021

    On November 12, 2021, a meeting of the WTO Informal group of acceding governments was held in Geneva under the chairmanship of the Permanent Representative of Belarus in Geneva H.E. Mr. Yury Ambrazevich.

   The meeting was attended by the WTO Director-General H.E. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who informed the delegations about the preparations for the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference, as well as achievements and current trends in the work of the Organization.

   The WTO Director-General assured that the further expansion of the Organization continues to be one of the priority areas of the WTO and urged the Members of the Group to continue active interaction with the WTO Members in all negotiation areas within the accession process.

   Speaking in the national capacity, Yury Ambrazevich drew the attention of the meeting participants to the problem of the use by Western countries of unilateral coercive measures, which do not comply with international law and undermine the multilateral trading system. Such illegal actions limit the possibilities in sustainable development of the  states, affected by the sanctions pressure, violate the economic and social rights of citizens of these states. Yury Ambrazevich appealed to the WTO Director General to respond at the level of the Organization to this negative international trend, recognizing the illegitimate and harmful nature of sanctions.

   The Belarusian Representative noted that the accession of Belarus to the WTO opens the way for the membership of the Eurasian Economic Union in the Organization. The Republic of Belarus is convinced that sustainable recovery and development is inextricably linked with the strengthening of regional integration associations and the establishment of cooperation between them. In this regard, the accession of the EAEU to the WTO, as a union that is a large market operating according to uniform rules, could become a significant milestone for the development of the regional dimension in the Organization.

   The delegations exchanged views on expectations from the Ministerial Conference and the specifics of advancing negotiations on accession to the WTO in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the discussion, the importance of involving the acceding countries in multilateral interaction within the WTO was emphasized, which is valuable not only as means of promoting accession negotiations, but also as an opportunity to contribute to the work of the Organization.

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