WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/ACC/LVA/35
23 October 1998
(98-4126)
ACCESSION OF LATVIA
On 14 October 1998, the General Council ad opted a Decision (WT/ACC/LVA/34) to the
effect that the Government of Latvia may accede to the WTO Agreement on the terms set out in the
Protocol for the Accession of Latvia, the text of which was approved at the General Council meetingon 14 October 1998 (WT/GC/M/31).  The  text of the Protocol is annexed hereto.  The Schedules of
Concessions on Goods and of Specific Commitmen ts in Services are reproduced in documents
WT/ACC/LVA/32/Add.1 and Add.2, respectively.
_______________
On 14 October 1998, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia,
Mr. Valdis Birkavs, signed subject to ratification the Protocol of Accession.WT/ACC/LVA/35
Page 2
PROTOCOL OF ACCESSION OF LATVIA
TO THE MARRAKESH AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING
THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
The World Trade Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "WTO"), pursuant to the
approval of the General Council of the WTO accorded under Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement
Establishing the World Trade Organization (hereinafter referred to as "WTO Agreement"), and the
Republic of Latvia (hereinafter referred to as "Latvia"),
Taking note of the Report of the Working Party on the Accession of Latvia to the WTO in
document WT/ACC/LVA/32 (hereinafter referred to as the "Working Party Report"),
Having regard to the results of the negotiations on the accession of Latvia to the WTO,
Agree as follows:
Part I - General
1. Upon entry into force of this Protocol, Latvia accedes to the WTO Agreement pursuant to
Article XII of that Agreement and thereby becomes a Member of the WTO.
2. The WTO Agreement to which Latvia accedes shall be the WTO Agreement as rectified,
amended or otherwise modified by such legal instru ments as may have entered into force before the
date of entry into force of this Protocol.  This Protocol, which shall include the commitments referred
to in paragraph 131 of the Working Party Report, shall be an integral part of the WTO Agreement.
3. Except as otherwise provided for in the para graphs referred to in paragraph 131 of the
Working Party Report, those obligations in the Mu ltilateral Trade Agreements annexed to the WTO
Agreement that are to be implemented over a period of time starting with the entry into force of that
Agreement shall be implemented by Latvia as if it had accepted that Agreement on the date of its
entry into force.
4. Latvia may maintain a measure inconsistent with paragraph 1 of Article II of the GATS
provided that such a measure is recorded in the list of Article II Exemptions annexed to this Protocol
and meets the conditions of the Annex to the GATS on Article II Exemptions.
Part II - Schedules
5. The Schedules annexed to this Protocol shall become the schedule of Concessions and
Commitments annexed to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (hereinafter referred toas the "GATT 1994") and the Schedule of Specific Commitments annexed to the General Agreement
on Trade in Services (hereinafter referred to as "GATS") relating to Latvia.  The staging of
concessions and commitments listed in the Schedules shall be implemented as specified in the
relevant parts of the respective Schedules.WT/ACC/LVA/35
Page 3
6. For the purpose of the reference in paragraph 6(a) of Article II of the GATT 1994 to the date
of that Agreement, the applicable date in respect of the Schedules of Concessions and Commitments
annexed to this Protocol shall be the date of entry into force of this Protocol.
Part III - Final Provisions
7. This Protocol shall be open for acceptance, by signature or otherwise, by Latvia until
1 May 1999.
8. This Protocol shall enter into force on the thirtieth day following the day of its acceptance.
9. This Protocol shall be deposited with the Director-General of the WTO.  The Director-
General of the WTO shall promptly furnish a certified copy of this Protocol and a notification of
acceptance thereto pursuant to paragraph 7 to each Member of the WTO and Latvia.
10. This Protocol shall be registered in accordance with the provisions of Article 102 of the
Charter of the United Nations.
11. Done at Geneva this fourteenth day of Oct ober one thousand nine hundred and ninety eight,
in a single copy in the English, French and Spanish languages each text being authentic, except that a
Schedule annexed hereto may specify that it is authentic in only one or more of these languages.
__________