Kazakhstan to settle two issues before accession into the WTO

To enter the WTO, Kazakhstan has to settle two issues, Kazakhstan’s Minister for Economic Integration Zhanar Aitzhanova said at the government’s sitting today. She emphasized that bilateral talks on access of Kazakhstan’s goods to markets of 30 WTO member states are complete, with 27 of the member states being EU nations. “Bilateral talks on access to markets of services have been completed with 14 member states. Multilateral talks are still under way on a so-called transition period to support the share of Kazakhstan-made goods purchased by O&G companies and national companies in other realms. Russia has extended its transition period until 2018 to support its car-making industry”, Ms. Aitzhanova said. Another issue to be settled is a possibility to apply export duties on commodities. “The talks are under way with the EU, our major trade partner. European processing enterprises are interested in getting the raw materials free of duties. However, to secure greater budget revenues and support further processing of such commodities locally we are defending the right to apply this duty”, the Minister said. According to her, if Kazakhstan manages to complete all the negotiations by the end of 2012, the actual accession can only take place mid-2013. She elaborated that it would take half a year for the Parliament to ratify respective treaties.