DUSHANBE, October 20, Asia-Plus — Negotiations on access to Tajikistan’s market of goods and services topped the agenda of the third formal meeting of the Working Party on the accession of Tajikistan to the World Trade Organization (WTO) held in Geneva on October 6.
Hakim Soliyev, Minister of Economy and Trade, headed Tajikistan’s delegation to the meeting.
Anvar Ibrohimov, the head of the department for ties with the far abroad and WTO countries within the Ministry of Economy and Trade, said in an interview with Asia-Plus that the October 6 meeting in Geneva focused on the regime of foreign trade of Tajikistan. ”The head of the Working Party, Klid Kull, who is also Ambassador of Estonia to Germany, suggested that the meeting that the WTO countries and
Tajikistan should expand bilateral negotiations on access to Tajikistan’s market of goods and services, and the WTO Secretariat should begin work on the Working Party’s draft report,” Ibrohimov said.
The ministry official also noted that during its stay in Geneva the Tajik delegation conducted a series of bilateral market access negotiations with some WTO member nations, including the European Union, the United States, Japan, Malaysia, Switzerland and Sri Lanka.
The Working Party on the accession of Tajikistan was established by the General Council on July 18 2001. A Factual Summary of Points Raised (summarizing the discussions on the Working Party) was circulated informally in April 2205 and subsequently revised in May 2006. Bilateral market access negotiations are under way on the basis of revised offers in goods and services. The Working Party held its second meeting in April 2005 to continue the examination of Tajikistan’s foreign trade regime.
