WT/MIN(22)/ST/11  
12 June 2022 
(22-4447) Page: 1/2 
Ministerial Conference  
Twelfth Session  
Geneva, 12 -15 June 2022  Original: English  
 
 
STATEMENT BY MR YURY GORELIK  
DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL FOR FOREIGN ECONOMIC 
ACTIVITY OF THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS  
BELARUS  
(Speaking as an Observer)  
First of all, I would like to extend my profound appreciation to the Governments of Switzerland and 
Kazakhstan, as well as to the WTO Secretariat, for their efforts in organizing the 12th WTO Ministerial 
Conference. Let me also congratulate all participants on the opening of MC12 which will finally take 
place, despite the difficulties we faced.  
 
In my statement I would like to focus on the three key points.  
 
First, the future of the WTO.  
 
The WTO has served over the years as a unique platform to discuss and take decisions on trade 
related issues. Largely  due to the WTO, since its establishment, the world trade increased more than 
4 times.  
 
However, since the previous Ministerial Conference, which was held nearly five years ago, the 
situation has changed drastically. The COVID -19 pandemic and resulting cr isis, the new geopolitical 
situation and trade context and even the WTO itself – the global trade will never be the same.  
 
The multilateral trading system needs to adapt promptly to a changing world in order to address 
existing challenges never seen before . The MC12 provides an opportunity to discuss what role the 
WTO is expected to play in handling the current crisis.  
 
And we hope the WTO will not become a closed elite club. We believe that the organization will 
continue to accept new Members and the requests to acceding governments will be realistic and 
achievable.  
 
So, my second point is the future of Belarus ' accession to the WTO.  
 
Since the 11th Ministerial Conference, the Belarusian negotiating team had made considerable efforts 
and achieved tangi ble results in advancing the WTO full -fledged Membership.  
 
From the end of 2017 the Working Party on the Accession of Belarus convened three meetings out 
of twelve in total. Four revisions of the Draft Working Party Report were published. Our country 
compl eted bilateral negotiations with seven WTO Members out of twenty -one in total.  
 
The Belarusian Side expresses its gratitude to all involved WTO Members who contributed to 
elaboration of the above -mentioned mutually beneficial documents and agreements.  
 
Regrettably, since 2020 the path of accession has been significantly slowed down due to the 
COVID -19 pandemic and later – for political reasons.  
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  The obvious politicization of WTO accessions is incompatible with the principles of transparency in 
the multilateral trading system, which is called upon by the decisions of the WTO itself to become 
one of the drivers of global development.  
 
Nonetheless, the accession to the WTO remains the focus for Belarus. The Republic of Belarus 
continues its efforts to bring its legislation in conformity with WTO rules and regulations. We do 
believe these efforts will be reclaimed in the future and allow the accession process to be completed 
within a reasonable time frame. The Belarusian negotiating team remains open for  dialogue with 
any interested WTO Members.  
 
Despite the Observer status, we follow the on -going negotiations among WTO Members on the 
current agenda. The Republic of Belarus became the first country which was granted the observer 
status in a WTO committee before joining the WTO and received the right to participate in the WTO 
Committee on Government Procurement. Belarus also officially supported the Ministerial Declaration 
in Micro, Small and Medium -Sized Enterprises.  
 
Belarus remains an important partner on the international trade scene. Being a part of one of the 
most important world markets – the Eurasian Economic Union, Belarus is highly export -oriented, 
with a diversified export structure.  
 
Third, the future of the world.  
 
Today we witness numerous un ilateral restrictive measures and sanctions. They have already caused 
serious disruptions to the global supply chains and drove up the prices of commodities, including 
food. 
 
The UN Secretary General, as well as competent international organizations, inclu ding the World 
Trade Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, the World 
Bank, the International Monetary Fund, all of them stress the detrimental effect of unilateral 
restrictive measures and sanctions on international  food security.  
 
According to the World Bank, the agricultural price index increased by 43% by May 2022 compared 
to last year. Each additional percentage point of food price increases will lead to additional 10 million 
people who will fall into extreme po verty. The UN Secretary General noted a 30% -increase in the 
price of staple foods, which poses a direct threat to peoples in Africa and the Middle East.  
 
Our country is self -sufficient in food production and makes a significant contribution to international 
food security. Belarus is one of the largest suppliers of potash fertilizers, agricultural machinery and 
products.  
 
The share of Belarus ' potash fertil izers amounts 20% of the world market. At the same time, due to 
imposed restrictions on their transit, prices for these products have already hit a record high. Experts 
predict that together with other factors the lack of potash in the world market caused by the 
prohibition of the Belarusian supplies will cause famine in the least developed countries.  
 
In our opinion, the removal of trade barriers in relation to exports of Belarus ' potash fertilizers is 
one of the key conditions for the soonest normalizati on of the world food security.  
 
Unilateral restrictive measures undermine and discredit the role of the WTO as a guarantor of 
international trade rules and demonstrate that no Member is safe from such unjustified measures in 
future. The policy of restricti ons, sanctions, discrimination nullifies the efforts of the international 
community to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.  
 
In our opinion, the WTO Member States should focus on this important issue without any political 
prejudices. For its part,  Belarus is committed to work together.  
 
In conclusion, I would like to wish the MC12 a much -needed success in addressing the existing 
challenges.  
 
__________