Lukashenko: It will be no tragedy for Belarus to join WTO later than neighbors :: Charter'97 :: News

It will be no tragedy for Belarus to join the WTO later than other CIS member countries, said Aleksandr Lukashenko on April 13 while observing a military exercise on the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in the Brest region.

“We held talks with the WTO, but no documents so far have been signed. As far as we know, Kazakhstan followed the same pattern. Ukraine has taken the lead. It has signed a lot of protocols, some unfavorable to it, and is now ahead of many countries in negotiations for accession to the WTO. Russia is behind, although it has also signed some papers as it turns out. And now we have also decided to commit to paper the talks we held with the WTO,” official information sources quoted Mr. Lukashenko as saying.

He said that he had tasked the government with studying the prospects for Belarus to join the WTO.

“We do not have any fear. As you can see, I am pursuing such economic policies that we`ll inevitably join the WTO some day, willing or not," the Belarusian leader stressed. "If, for some reasons, we have to join the organization tomorrow, certain enterprises will suffer an estimated loss of $80 million to $100 million, if experts have made correct estimates. The light industry, which we worry about, in fact works under the WTO conditions now. We will benefit from the WTO membership in many areas. That’s why it will be no tragedy for us to join the WTO after our neighbors. We have in fact adjusted ourselves to this. There will be some strains, but we`ll overcome them.”

When asked when Belarus would join the WTO, Mr. Lukashenko said that he did not know. “I guess this will happen neither this nor next year,” he added.