PROGRESS IN YEMEN'S ACCESSION TO WTO DISCUSSED

GENEVA, May 04 (Saba) – Yemen and the World Trade Organization( WTO) discussed in the city of Geneva on Tuesday the active progress in the process of Yemen accession to the organization.

This came during a meeting gathered Minister of Industry and Trade and Head of the National Committee for Preparation and Negotiation with the WTO ,Yahya al-Mutawakil, and the WTO's Director General Pascal Lamy, in which al-Mutawakil briefed the WTO's director on the results of the bilateral negotiations between Yemen negotiating team and the U.S. in Washington last week.

Al-Mutawakil confirmed completion of bilateral negotiations on markets access in goods and services by signing initially a bilateral agreement between Yemen and the U.S. to complete the bilateral negotiations.

He reviewed the positive results of the visit of the WTO's team to Yemen last month, in which the two sides agreed on a plan to complete the accession requirements by the end of this year.

For his part, the WTO's official considered the plan to complete the accession requirements ,that have been agreed upon, a positive indication of the seriousness of Yemen in completing the negotiations, which creates a good impression for the Working Group members for Yemen's accession to the organization.

Lamy expressed his hope for a fruitful outcome of the consultative meeting with members of the working group this week.

He affirmed his personal interest and the attention of the WTO's Secretariat in Yemen accession at the earliest opportunity in view of its importance in the integration of the Yemeni economy in the world trading system and in attracting foreign investments.

The five-day bilateral negotiations between Yemen and the U.S resulted in completion of the bilateral negotiations related to the access to markets in field of goods and services. The two sides agreed to continue the negotiations during the coming months to end all issues and achieve Yemen's accession to the WTO by the end of 2010 according to the timetable in this side.

The completion of bilateral negotiations with the U.S. is a strong push toward the completion of the requirements for Yemen accession to the WTO and an important indicator on obtaining the full membership of WTO.

BA