Kazakhstan may enter WTO in two months’ time

Aleksei Likhachev, Russia’s Vice Minister of Economic Development, believes Kazakhstan is almost ready to enter the WTO and doesn’t exclude the country may accede to the WTO in two months’ time, at the 9th WTO ministerial conference on Bali [to be held 3-6 December 2013], according to Russia’s Prime Agency. “From the theoretical perspective, it may happen on Bali”, Mr. Likhachev said, emphasizing that “much will depend on WTO major players”. Kazakhstan may become a member of the WTO (World Trade Organization) in 2013, RIA Novosti reported, citing WTO Director General Pascal Lamy as saying mid-January 2013. "Kazakhstan is currently at quite an advanced stage of negotiations on entering the WTO and I would suppose that Kazakhstan's jointing the WTO may be expected even this year," Lamy said on the sidelines of the Gaidar Forum in Russia. Earlier Kazakhstan Minister of Economic Integration Zhanar Aitzhanova said that Kazakhstan would complete its negotiations on accession into the WTO in the first half of 2013.