ASTANA, 18 November – IA Novosty-Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan will draw up technical documents to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the end of the negotiations on agriculture subsidies that are expected to be completed in the first half of 2014, the Minister of Economic Integration of the Republic, Zhanar Aytzhanova said to reporters.

“Dates are always dependent on how the negotiations are held and what the results are. Currently we are holding negotiations   on  subsidizing the agricultural sector. When we agree on the scale that will fit our long-term and medium-term plans for the development of the agricultural industry, we hope to implement it in the next year”, Aytzhanova said.

At the parliamentary hearing, last Friday, the Minister said that Kazakhstan plans to complete the most complex negotiations for joining the WTO concerning the size of government subsidies in the agricultural sector in the first half of 2014.

“As soon as these negotiations are completed, so we will only draw our technical documents for accession to the WTO,” she added.

Kazakhstan has been aspiring to become a member of the WTO since 1993.

Source: IA Novosty-Kazakstan