Turkmenistan is expressing its intent to join the World Trade Organization.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov has set up a governmental commission to study issues involved in gaining WTO membership and has approved its composition. A resolution on this adopted by the government yesterday, was published today in the country’s central newspapers.
The resolution says the decision was made “with the goals of Turkmenistan’s sure and effective integration into the world economic system, increasing the competitiveness of the production being set up in the country and the product produced, and the establishment on a legal basis of market relations in accordance with the international level.”
The governmental commission has been instructed to analyze issues involved in Turkmenistan joining the WTO and to do the appropriate work.
As Deputy Prime Minister Annamukhammet Gochyev (who oversees Turkmenistan’s economic sector) informed the government in remarks broadcast on local television, the commission is to study WTO agreements and rules, analyze the impact of WTO accession on the various sectors and spheres of the national economy, prepare the pertinent proposals, and to take part in forums organized by the World Trade Organization.
Berdymukhamedov put the emphasis on the need to improve trade, financial, and investment law, the regulation of the foreign currency exchange rate, the formation of a mechanism for free pricing, the elimination of trade and customs barriers, the preparation of highly qualified specialists, and in general a policy conversion toward the development of free market relations.
There are now roughly 150 WTO member states, which account for around 95% of world trade. Another roughly 30 countries are negotiating for membership.
