. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/MIN(99)/ST/133
2 December 1999
(99-5344)
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Third Session
Seattle, 30 November - 3 December 1999Original:  English
GEORGIA
Statement by H.E. Mrs. Tamar Beruchashvili
Minister of Trade and Foreign Economic Relations
(Speaking as an Observer)
It is indeed an honour to be able to represent Georgia as a newly acceding Member of the
World Trade Organization.  We are especially pleased that our entry in to the WTO is taking place
just as the WTO itself is undertaking a major new initiative to expand world trade and launch a new
Round of negotiations.
First of all, I would like to express the apprec iation of my country for all of the goodwill that
was displayed towards Georgia, and the tangible help that we received from the Members and from
the Secretariat staff during the accession process.
Our accession is a major step in our transition from Soviet Republic to independent, fully
democratic State with a free-market econom y oriented towards Europe and the west.
Georgia began the accession process having already made a firm decision to embrace the
principles of a modern open economy.  Our tariff rates were already quite low.  Our economy was
already substantially open to foreign investment and to the foreign provision of services.  These facts
facilitated our negotiations, which were completed in less than eighteen months from the date of our
first working party meeting.  As the WTO considers how to encourage and help the countries now in
the accession process, I think Georgia's example s hows us that with firm political will and with
adequate technical assistance – both of which are necessary – accession can be achieved in a
reasonable time and without compromise of WTO's standards.
Georgia looks forward to full participation in the efforts of the WTO to further expand
international trade.  We have accepted virtually all of the sectoral initiatives and plurilateralagreements.  We support reasonable environmental and labour agreements.
In spite of the fact that Georgian GDP per capita is less than it is in many developing
countries, we are ready to support the acceleration of the globalization and liberalization and also to
discuss the new subjects at the "Millennium Round".
We hope to see the WTO disciplines deepened and strengthened in many areas in the coming
negotiations, and we will work to that end.  We especially support the dispute resolution mechanism
as an effective means of protecting the interests of small countries such as ourselves.
The WTO provides an opportunity for small economies to be part of the world trading
community.  But increased exposure to the trends of globalization also carries with it certain dangers.Georgia believes that technical assistance provided through the WTO or bilaterally by the developedWT/MIN(99)/ST/133
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WTO Member countries is an important mechanism for protecting small economies from these
dangers.  We urge the leading WTO Members to strengthen and expand such technical assistance
programmes to the maximum extent possible.
President Shevardnadze recently stated that it would be impossible for any State, no matter
how strong, to address the challenges facing us today alone.  Only through the collective effort of all
nations can success be achieved.  The peaceful and predictable development of global trade will
become one of the prime mechanisms for improving the standards of living for all people, and
therefore, a major guarantor of peace in the world.
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