Accessibility links

Breaking News

Ukraine PM Affirms Goal Of Year-End WTO Membership


Senator Rick Santorun (L) and Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov (RFE/RL) Washington, 1 November 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Ukraine's prime minister was in Washington to reaffirm his government's goal of gaining membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the end of this year.


Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov told a group of foreign policy experts today that a bilateral agreement with the United States is crucial to its WTO aspirations.


Yekhanurov said his country must join the WTO before Russia, which recently conveyed concerns about Kyiv joining the trade body.


"If the Russian Federation enters the WTO ahead of Ukraine, that will mean Ukraine will never be a member of the WTO. This is a very simple task that I am now trying to accomplish. We have to be a member of the WTO before the Russian Federation and we'll do it," Yekhanurov said.


Bilateral accords must be reached before a country can join the WTO. Yekhanurov heads a delegation to Washington that includes Ukraine's economy, agriculture, and fuel and energy ministers. He is due to meet U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG