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Ethiopia determined to join WTO says Director General
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ETHIOPIA has taken the first key steps to become the World Trade Organization's 151st member, according government reports. "Ethiopia has started its accession process, the first stage was completed in December 2006," WTO's Director General, Pascal Lamy, told reporters. |
The Director General said Ethiopia had applied for membership and tabled details of its trade regime, legislation and practices which were circulated to all WTO members. However, members are expected to seek clarifications on various points.
The next stage is to assess the kind of commitment Ethiopia is willing to undertake in bilateral negotiations before its policies come under scrutiny from the World Trade Secretariat on whether its trade system meets WTO standards.
"It is a rather long process," Lamy said. "But when I was in Addis, I saw clear determination by the Prime Minister and the government that things are ready to move forward."
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