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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Joining WTO one of the conditions for Serbia’s EU membership

Belgrade, 18 October 2005

Serbian Minister of International Economic Relations Milan Parivodic said today that it is very important for Serbia to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since it is one of the conditions for Serbia’s membership in the European Union. He added that it is expected that the membership will be approved in 2008.

Speaking at a press conference Parivodic said that in September 2004 Serbia presented its request for joining the WTO as an independent customs zone, and in February this year the WTO agreed to consider the request and on October 7th, the first meeting of the working group for Serbia’s accession to the WTO was held.

He said that Serbia will present the adjusted specific duty rates for individual goods until the end of this year, while the second meeting of the working group is expected to take place in the first half of 2006.

Parivodic said that the basic principles of the WTO are: “national treatment” of foreign businessmen, transparency, predictability of rules and economic policies, and conditions that also give Serbian businessmen the chance to access foreign markets.

Assistant Minister Dusko Lopandic said that negotiations with the WTO will enhance trade and services and minimise taxes, thus increasing competition, improving the business climate, accelerating economic growth and attracting larger foreign investment.

Lopandic announced that a two-day conference on Serbia’s accession to the WTO begins tomorrow at the Hotel Intercontinental in Belgrade. The aim of this conference is to inform Serbian businessmen of the advantages to be gained by joining the WTO.

Chairman of the working group for Serbia’s accession to the WTO, Francois Roux said today that the expectation of Serbian officials for Serbia’s accession to the WTO in 2008 is ambitious but realistic.

He said that this ambition can be realised under condition that the Serbian government and its ministries have a continuous coordinated approach that they will pursue to the end.

Roux said that Serbia is at a good starting point because it was one of the first members of GATT, an organisation that was the predecessor of the WTO, as well as in that it has a highly educated public and a devoted government.

Counsellor in the secretariat of the WTO Adrian Cato said that Serbia could become a member of the WTO in a period of three to five years, depending on readiness for negotiations and the opening up of the domestic economy.