Baku News

24 June 2008 - Today.Az - US ambassador Anne Derse highly evaluates the process of Azerbaijan's WTO accession, reports the press service for the Economic Development Ministry, according to Novosti-Azerbaijan. During the meeting with Minister Heydar Babayev on Monday the US ambassador voiced readiness of her country to support the republic in this issue. She said Azerbaijan's WTO accession will primarily promote the development of the non-oil sector. Babayev informed the ambassador about the process, particularly, about the recent fifth session of the work group, which adopted a decision to prepare a Fact Summary. The draft document will be worked out and presented to Azerbaijani side until August. The Minister announced that the process of answering to US and EU questions to complete no later than September is currently going on. He stressed expediency of holding the sixth session of the work group until the end of the year. Speaking about the process of bilateral talks, H.Babayev announced that protocols with Oman and United Arabic Emirates were signed in the framework of the fifth session and similar documents will further be signed with Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Moldova. It is also planned to hold multilateral talks on internal support of agriculture, which has a great importance for WTO accession. The Minister also informed Derse that a special department of external trade and WTO policy has been created under his Ministry. The meeting was also attended by USAID coordinator on Azerbaijan Scott Taylor, head of the project of US government "Support of reforms in the sphere of trade and investments in Azerbaijan" Paul Davis and chief of department of Economic Development Ministry Adalyat Muradov.