Q:
A:
Serbia to join WTO by mid 2009
Geneva/Belgrade,
8 May 2008
Serbian Minister of Economy and Regional Development Mladjan Dinkic said today in Geneva following a meeting with Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Pascal Lamy that Serbia could become a member of WTO by the middle of next year.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, Minister Dinkic was given assurances at the meeting that Serbia can join the WTO by the middle of next year, and a plan was established according to which Serbian laws will be harmonised with WTO legal regulations.
Dinkic, who is visiting Geneva at the invitation of Lamy, stressed that WTO membership will allow Serbia to get the status of the most privileged nation in trade with 152 WTO member countries.
He explained that this means reduced customs duties on import of Serbian products, protection from illegal economic measures taken by other countries, and protection from unfriendly competition on the domestic market through prevention of monopolisation.
Membership of the WTO will attract more foreign investors, stressed the Minister and added that WTO membership is also a condition for Serbia’s EU membership.
Dinkic and Lamy also discussed the importance of signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Serbia and the EU, and ways in which signing the agreement has made it easier and simpler for Serbia to join WTO.
Lamy said that Dinkic’s presence at today’s meeting in Geneva shows clearly how important it is for Serbia to become a WTO member.
He voiced hope that Serbia will become a WTO member next year, provided it puts the same effort into that process as it has done so far.
Dinkic and State Secretary of the Serbian Ministry of Economy Jasna Matic held today a series of bilateral meetings with delegations of Switzerland, Canada, the US, Japan, Turkey and Norway to discuss issues of liberalisation of the goods and services market.
A meeting of the Working group for Serbia’s WTO accession will be held today and will be presided over by Karsten Vagn Nielsen.
Dinkic, who is visiting Geneva at the invitation of Lamy, stressed that WTO membership will allow Serbia to get the status of the most privileged nation in trade with 152 WTO member countries.
He explained that this means reduced customs duties on import of Serbian products, protection from illegal economic measures taken by other countries, and protection from unfriendly competition on the domestic market through prevention of monopolisation.
Membership of the WTO will attract more foreign investors, stressed the Minister and added that WTO membership is also a condition for Serbia’s EU membership.
Dinkic and Lamy also discussed the importance of signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Serbia and the EU, and ways in which signing the agreement has made it easier and simpler for Serbia to join WTO.
Lamy said that Dinkic’s presence at today’s meeting in Geneva shows clearly how important it is for Serbia to become a WTO member.
He voiced hope that Serbia will become a WTO member next year, provided it puts the same effort into that process as it has done so far.
Dinkic and State Secretary of the Serbian Ministry of Economy Jasna Matic held today a series of bilateral meetings with delegations of Switzerland, Canada, the US, Japan, Turkey and Norway to discuss issues of liberalisation of the goods and services market.
A meeting of the Working group for Serbia’s WTO accession will be held today and will be presided over by Karsten Vagn Nielsen.
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