On Wednesday November 21, Mr. Shukurjon Zuhurov, Chairman of the Majlisi Namoyandagon (Tajikistan’s lower chamber of parliament) received Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, Director, Accessions Division, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat, Director, Accessions Division, WTO Secretariat and Mr. Dimitar Bratanov, Secretary, the Working Party on Tajikistan’s accession.

Muhammadato Sultonov, a spokesman for the Majlisi Namoyandagon, says  that Tajik parliament speaker briefed WTO officials on economic reforms carried out in Tajikistan and stressed that Tajikistan’s gross domestic product has increased nearly four times over the past five years.

“Mr. Zuhurov noted that Tajikistan’s joining the World Trade Organization was one of priorities of the government and the parliament has made amendments to dozens of laws over the past eleven years to facilitate Tajikistan’s admission to the Organization,” the spokesman noted.

Zuhurov reportedly stressed that due to measures taken by the president, the government and the parliament Tajikistan had overcome the global financial and economic crisis practically painlessly.

“For his part, Mr. Chiedu Osakwe noted that Tajikistan has done the big work and has gone the complicated path to joint the World Trade Organization,” said Sultonov.  “He noted that Tajikistan will become the 159th member nation of the World Trade Organization.” 

Tajikistan vowed to undertake a series of commitments designed to meet all WTO regulations.  Tajikistan has been attempting to join the WTO since 2001.  If Tajikistan meets all the criteria and WTO members approve the country's entry, Tajikistan should become a full member of the organization in 2013.

We will recall that last negotiations on Tajikistan’s joining the World Trade Organization took place in Geneva in late October and the World Trade Organization has announced that it would likely approve Tajikistan's bid to join the WTO this December.

According to information posted on WTO’s website, “the Working Party on Tajikistan’s accession, chaired by Ambassador Clyde Kull (Estonia), [on October 26] agreed, ad referendum, on the terms of the country’s membership to the WTO by adopting the package containing reforms to Tajikistan’s trade regime, market access schedules on goods and services, the Ministerial Decision and the Protocol of Accession.”

The WTO said that “all members” are expected to approve the documents that Tajikistan's working group submitted for entry.  The decision is expected during a meeting of the WTO's General Council on December 11-12.

“Tajikistan is one step closer to becoming a member of the WTO family. This is a sign of solid confidence in the WTO and in the multilateral trading system.  Accession to the WTO will firmly integrate Tajikistan into the global economy and the global trading system, providing an open, transparent and non-discriminatory environment.  As a new member, Tajikistan will be in a better position to use trade as a tool for its development and growth, as others have done,” said Director-General Pascal Lamy.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is the global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations whose goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business.  The organization has 157 members and 27 more governments, including Tajikistan, have applied to accede to the WTO, which are at different stages in the process.