WORLD TRADE WT/MIN(98)/ST/70
18May1998
ORGANIZATION(98-2061)
Original: English MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE
Second Session
Geneva, 18and20May1998
BELARUS
Statement Circulated byH.E. Mr.Mikhail A.Marinich,
Minister ofForeign Economic Relations
(AsanObserver)
Onbehalf oftheGovernment oftheRepublic ofBelarus letmefirsttoexpress thegratitude
totheGovernment ofSwitzerland aswellastoDirector-General, Mr.Ruggiero andhisstaffofthe
WTO Secretariat, whohavemade great efforts toprepare forthisConference. Belarusian delegation
highly appreciates theopportunity toparticipate inthisinternational forum.
TheSecond WTO Ministerial Conference isahistorical event. Thisyeartheinternational
community celebrates thegolden jubilee ofthemultilateral trade system GATT/WTO. Thisjubilee
opens anewchapter ofthehistory oftheWorld Trade Organization, which hasunited industrialized,
developing, least-developing andtransition economies under thecommon framework ofrules.
Conclusion oftheGeneral Agreement onTrade andTariffs marked thedawn ofanewera
oftheworld economy. Theestablished multilateral organization hasdeveloped gradually into
unprecedented initsscaleeconomic system. Joining ofnewMembers inthenearest future willcomplete
theconstruction ofauniversal trading system.
Iwishtoassure thattheBelarus 'accession totheWorld Trade Organization isthetoppriority
inourforeign trade policy. Weareconfident, thatourintegration intoliberalized andopen world
trade regulated byclear andnon-discriminatory norms andprincipals ofthismost respected, inour
opinion, economic organization, willhavethepositive impact oneconomic reform inourcountry and
helpusfindawayoutofcontinuing crisis, secure dynamic growth anddevelopment.
Thecurrent speed ofeconomic reform inBelarus canbeaccounted forbyawide-range of
complex interrelated factors. Transition fromthecentralized economy which existed fordecades, to
anabsolutely newtousmarket typeofeconomic policy isexacerbated bytheabsence ofeither
scientifically orpractically proven general methods usedformanagement ofsuchaprocess, tosay
nothing ofthose thatconsider specific features ofagiven country.
Fortheperiod ofeconomic crisis thegeneral domestic product hasbeenreduced bymore than
35percent. Asharp decrease ininvestment activity isalsoanaggravating factor forthetransition
ofoureconomy: theoverall capital investment isnowatthelevelofslightly higher ofonethirdof
1990. Thecurrent capital inflow isonlyusedbycompanies topaysalaries andprovide social support.
Theprocess isplagued byvarious social anddemographic problems aswellasbythe
ever-pending burden oftheChernobyl accident rehabilitation programmes. Weprovided the
WTO Secretariat withthedocument which describes theglobal character ofthedamage, inflicted on
Belarus bythiscatastrophe. Itcontains aclearmessage thatourcountry istrulyazoneofecologicalWT/MIN(98)/ST/70
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disaster. Theloses ourcountry hassuffered areirretrievable andtheremediation oftheaftermath
willtakefuture generations decades. Itcaused damage evaluated inUS$235 billion forthe30years
from thedateoftheaccident, thatconstitutes 32statebudgets ofBelarus in1985.
ForBelarus, which issituated between theEastandtheWest ofEurope, active participation
ininternational tradeisthemostimportant andintegral condition forthetransformation ofoureconomy.
Consequently, theeventual transition ofBelarus tomarket economy isdirectly related toitsaccession
intheWorld Trade Organization, theestablishment ofrelationships withallinterested Members on
astable long-term economic andlegalbasis.
Thepolicy ofintegration totheworld economy oftheRepublic ofBelarus isbased onthe
assumption thattheliberalization offoreign trade regimes isnotjustagoal. Itisamostsubstantial
tooltoreach strategic goals ofeconomic development. Principal tasks ofagovernment inthefield
offoreign trademustbechanged asfarastheprocess oftransformation tothemarket economy isbeing
developed. Short-term tasks ofeconomy stabilization related tothenecessity toresolve problems at
theconsumer markets andtoincrease theincome oftheState budget inBelarus havebeengradually
replaced bylong-term tasksofstructural reforming andstimulation ofeconomic growth. Insuchterms
thesupport ofexport isthestrategic direction ofthegovernmental policy.
There isasufficient potential insome export-oriented branches inBelarus. OurStateremains
constrained bytrade barriers ofdeveloped countries torealize itsfullpotential. Being notaMember
oftheWTO, theRepublic ofBelarus isstillclassified asnon-market economy. So,itfallsunder specific
rulescreated bythecountry ofimport. Itmainly relates tothetradeofagricultural andfoodproducts,
chemicals andtextiles, which arethemost important export items forBelarus.
Theworld experience proves thatthereforming oftheforeign trade regime facilitates the
development ofeconomy. Toreach thisgoaltheGovernment oftheRepublic usesthefollowing
approach totheforeign trade reforms.
Firstly, tofoster thecompetition andtoincrease theeffectiveness ofdomestic producers we
proceed fromthenecessity ofgradual trade liberalization withselective protection ofsome branches
onthetemporary basis.
Secondly, wedraw close attention totheinfluence oftrade foreign policy onthebudget and
economic stabilization. Weconsider thatthecountries intransition aretostabilize itseconomies before
tostartlarge-scale trade liberalization.
Thirdly, inpursuit oftheeffectiveness ofthereform itisnecessary totransform theinstitutional
instruments inorder tocreate anappropriate legislative framework adequate bothtothechallenges
ofmarket economy andfortheintegration intotheglobal market.
Andthelast,itisexpected thattheNational Export programme willprovide vastopportunities
forthereforming andcreation ofamarket economy.
ThetermsofBelarus'participationintheWTOmustpromotethesolutionoftheabove-mentioned
problems. Economic transformation isassustained andcontradictory astheprocesses entailing the
creation ofmarket economy. Sothere isnodoubt intheexistence ofthedirect linkage between the
success ofdomestic economic reforms andterms ofcountry 'sparticipation attheinternational market.
Wealsounderstand thattherateofglobal economic cooperation within theWTO framework
raises additional challenges inthetransformation period. Liberalization offoreign trade isoneoftheWT/MIN(98)/ST/70
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toolsfortheachievement ofthecountry 'seconomic development, butthereisnoother alternative for
usexcept thepragmatic approach tothesolution oftheexisting problems inthisfield.
Inthelightoftheabove, Iwould likeagain todraw theattention oftheWTO Member States
totransition economies. Integration ofthesecountries should bothfinalize theconstruction oftheworld
tradesystem andsolve anumber oftheirinternal specific economic problems. ThisyeartheRepublic
ofBelarus willmove toanother stage ofaccession totheWTO -thestage ofbilateral negotiations
onmarket access ingoods andservices. SoIhopethatthedialogue withtheWTO Member States
willbeconstructive andmutually beneficial.
InconclusionletmeexpressmygratitudetotheMemberStatesoftheWorkingPartyonBelarus'
accession totheWTO fortheirsupport ofourefforts during theSecond Meeting.
Iwishtotakethisopportunity tocongratulate alldelegations oftheForum ontheoccasion
ofthe50thAnniversary oftheestablishment oftheworld multilateral trading system.
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