The Cabinet of Ministers supports completion of the bilateral negotiations with Ukraine within the framework of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) [05 Jun 2002]

On 4 June 2002 the Cabinet of Ministers supported completion of bilateral negotiations with Ukraine on UkraineâÀ™s accession to the WTO. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to ensure the formalities in order to complete LatviaâÀ™s and UkraineâÀ™s bilateral negotiations on market accessibility in trade with goods and services.

The WTO regulations provide that, in order to become a member state of this organisation, the WTO candidate country, in this case Ukraine, has to reach agreements on favourable trade conditions with all countries concerned. Latvia as a full-fledged WTO member state since 1999 has participated in negotiations with Ukraine on market accessibility in trade with goods and services.

Since the bilateral negotiations were initiated, 8 negotiation rounds with Ukraine on market accessibility have taken place. During the negotiations Latvia has achieved tariff rate reductions for products included in the mandate and of greatest interest to Latvian manufacturers. An agreement has also been reached on provisions for rendering services.

The results of the bilateral negotiations on accessibility to  UkraineâÀ™s market are economically beneficial for Latvia, because during the process of negotiations Ukraine has accommodated Latvia in several positions essential for Latvia, especially in the field of agriculture. The results achieved in negotiations will be applied on the basis of the most-favoured-nation principle and will become effective upon Ukraine becoming a full-fledged WTO member state.

Latvia supports UkraineâÀ™s speedier accession to the WTO, because it will create a stable and foreseeable contractual law basis for successful development of trade relations with Ukraine in LatviaâÀ™s priority areas. The European Commission has also expressed its support for UkraineâÀ™s speedier accession to the WTO.

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