Events

MINSK, 7 April (BelTA) – Central government agencies should step up the work aimed at securing Belarus’ accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Prime Minister of Belarus Andrei Kobyakov has signed the relevant executive order dated by 6 April 2016, the press service of the Belarus government told BelTA.

Belarusian government agencies are hereby instructed to take measures to enhance the expert and workforce potential in matters concerning the main directions of these negotiations.

The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be in charge of the overall oversight of the negotiation process. The ministry is supposed to forward proposals concerning the composition of the delegation in charge of negotiations, its head and deputy heads to the Council of Ministers. Apart from that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will have to work out a draft action plan on organizing the negotiations in 2016.

The Prime Minister signed the executive order to fulfill the instructions the Belarus president gave during the government conference on 29 March. In particular, Alexander Lukashenko spoke in favor of stepping up the negotiations on Belarus’ accession to the WTO while unconditionally observing national interests.

Belarus considers WTO membership as an instrument to enable more profound integration into the multilateral trade system, optimize the structure of its foreign trade, and as an additional economic growth stimulus.