Kyrgyzstan comes out against Ukraine, Kazakhstan's joining WTO

Kyrgyzstan refuses to sign the protocol on the accomplishment of bilateral talks on joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Kyrgyz Minister of Foreign Trade and Industry Sadriddin Dzhiyenbekov said at the recent governmental meeting on the WTO membership that his ministry is not going to give consent to Kazakhstan and Ukraine's joining the WTO "because of unresolved problems with them," the ministry's press service reported.

According to the minister, "the introduction of anti-dumping duties on electric bulbs and Ukraine's acknowledgement of foreign debt" to Kyrgyzstan are the unresolved problems concerning Ukraine.

As for Kazakhstan, "the singing of the protocol is still impossible as there are some unresolved issues, as well," the Kyrgyz minister said.

Bishkek offers the Kazakh Government to consider the issue on the elimination of barriers in bilateral trade, in particular, it concerns the transit of Kyrgyz cargoes via Kazakhstan and cancellation of several non-tariff restrictions on exports of manufactured goods.

Kyrgyzstan was the first CIS country to join the WTO in 1998.