Kazakhstan completes final WTO talks

    Kazakhstan has completed all bilateral negotiations with Saudi Arabia to provide access for the nation’s goods and services to the Kazakh market, Newskaz.ru reports.
    On April 7, during a visit on part of Kazakhstan’s Minister for Economic Integration Ms. Zhanar Aitzhanova to Saudi Arabia, the two nations signed a protocol completing bilateral talks. She commented, “this was the last protocol Kazakhstan had planned to sign prior to its accession”.
    She elaborated that the country “has yet to hold further multilateral talks on Kazakhstan’s external trade policies”.
    She reminded reporters the talks with Saudi Arabia had been ongoing on for the last four years, and “covered not only conditions for the access of goods and services to the Kazakh market, but also conditions for Saudi Arabian investors to work in Kazakhstan”.
    Tengrinews.kz reported on March 27, 2012 that prior to its WTO accession, Kazakhstan plans to resolve two additional issues.
    “Multilateral talks are still under way on a so-called transition period to enhance the percentage of Kazakhstan-made goods being purchased by oil and gas companies and national companies in other areas. Russia has extended its transition period to 2018 to support its car-making industry,” Ms. Aitzhanova said at the time.
    Another issue to be settled is the application of export duties on commodities.
    “Talks are underway with the EU, our major trade partner. European processing enterprises are interested in obtaining raw materials free of duties. However, to secure greater budget revenues and support the further processing of such commodities locally, we are defending the right to apply this duty,” the minister said.
    She noted that if Kazakhstan manages to complete all talks by the end of 2012, actual accession would only take place in mid-2013. She explained it would take half of a year for the parliament to ratify respective treaties, according to www.tengrinews.kz (Agence France Press).