President Ilham Aliyev said at a conference on economic development of regions that Azerbaijan does not intend to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the near future.

Substantiated position he desire to protect the local market from the influx of cheap imports of low-grade, and farmers and manufacturers - from bankruptcy. He promised to join the organization after the orientation of the local agricultural and industrial exports.

This is not the first such statement by the head of state. The essence of disagreement that local government plans after joining the organization on an annual lump-sum aid agribusiness at $ 2 billion, and representatives of the main players ( the U.S., EU , Canada, Australia and Brazil ) want , above all, liberalization of customs duties and procedures and the harmonization of quality standards without preconditions.

Furthermore, in the course of bilateral negotiations, WTO members raise questions reduce dependence on oil and gas, reducing bound-tariff part of agricultural and industrial goods. Negotiating partners also want the government of Azerbaijan has unified services, excise taxes, sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards, legislation and technical regulation in accordance with international standards. Country is not ready for it.

Azerbaijan in 1997 applied to join the WTO. The first country, with which was signed a bilateral protocol on completion of negotiations on WTO accession, was Turkey in 2007. In May 2008, an agreement was reached with Oman and the UAE in May 2010 - with Georgia in 2012 - with Kyrgyzstan. It is expected to sign a protocol with Moldova. Negotiations on behalf of the country are authorized to hold by Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mamedguliyev.

Note that WTO accession is a precondition for signing a free trade agreement with the EU.

World Trade Organization headquartered in Geneva, established January 1, 1995 for the purpose of international trade liberalization and regulation of trade and political relations between the Member States. In the organization there is a conflict between the desire of countries to free trade and protectionism by them most when it comes to agricultural subsidies.

CEO WTO is Pascal Lamy .

ANN.Az