RESTRICTED  
  
WT/ACC/KAZ/81  
 
25 June 2014  
(14-3661)  Page: 1/2  
Working Party on the Accession of Kazakhstan Original: English  
  
   
ACCESSION OF KAZAKHSTAN 
COMMUNICATION FROM CHAIRMAN OF THE WORKING PARTY 
I would like to recall that all bilateral market access negotiations in both goods and 
services, pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the WTO, were 
concluded in 2012, in accordance with longstanding  accessions best practices.  To maintain good 
order and the capacity of the system to deliver , I would encourage all Members of the Working 
Party and the Government of Kazakhstan, to resolve all and any outstanding issues, in full 
transparency.  Below is my Fax Communication to Members of the Working Party, dated 
13 June 2014.    
  
Vesa Himanen 
Chairman 
Working Party on the Accession of Kazakhstan 
 
 
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WORKING PARTY ON THE ACCESSION OF KAZAKHSTAN:  
STATE-OF-PLAY REPORT AND FORWARD PLANNING 
Dear Members of the Working Party on the Accession of Kazakhstan,  
 
As you may recall, the last Cycle of Meetings, within the framework of the Working Party on 
the Accession of Kazakhstan, was in October 2013.  In the past few months, however, there has 
been re-engagement on several tracks of the Accession Negotiations of Kazakhstan.  I believe that 
these recent contacts provide a window of opportunity for Members and the Government of Kazakhstan to effectively re-start its WTO Accession negotiations.  Potentially, they provide a basis for rapid progress and advancement towards closure, as soon as possible.  My purpose in this 
message is to report to Members on the status of the negotiations and suggest how we could, 
possibly, move forward, over  the next few weeks.   
 
I should also state, at the start of this message, that although all accession negotiations are 
challenging, the Accession of Kazakhstan carries a unique systemic challenge.  Positively, there is 
goodwill on the part of Members of the Working Party to work through the problems, technically and patiently, and suggest possibilities for pragmatic problem-solving.   
 
I am also pleased to report that WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo is attentive to the 
substance of the accession negotiations of Kazakhstan because of contacts made to him from high levels of Government and because of the systemic implications of this accession negotiation.    
Herewith is the negotiating state-of-play.   
 Market Access: All bilateral market access negotiations were completed in 2012.  The Secretariat 
consolidated all bilateral agreements for goods and services.  The consolidated Draft Schedule of 
Tariff Concessions and Commitments on Goods is contained in WT/ACC/SPEC/KAZ/10, dated 
12 April 2012.  The third revision of the consolidation was circulated on 26 September 2012 in WT/ACC/KAZ/81 
 
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  document: WT/ACC/SPEC/KAZ/10/Rev.3.  This consolidation is the subject of tariff adjustment and 
associated compensation questions between the Dele gation of Kazakhstan and relevant Members.  
On Services, the Secretariat Consolidated Draft Schedule was circulated on 22 March 2013.  This Draft is the subject of final stage consultations with Signatory Members of Bilateral Agreements on Services with Kazakhstan.  In accordance with standing accession best practices, 
Chiedu Osakwe, Director of the Accessions Division  will manage these consultations, on my behalf 
and chair the "Technical Verification" meetings, after consultations have been concluded and the Consolidated Draft Schedules circulated to "Sig natory" Members with a lead time of 4 weeks 
provided for a review of the Drafts.  
Rules Negotiations: Progress has been made as reflected in the text of the Draft Report of the 
Working Party, to be circulated in document: WT/ACC/SPEC/KAZ/9/Rev.11.  However, as Members 
already know, outstanding work remains on a rang e of Sections of the Foreign Trade Regime.  
For instance, work on SPS is still the subject of plurilateral engagement on the basis of a 
Job document, yet to be mainstreamed into the bo dy of the Draft Report of the Working Party.  
The elaboration of the Agriculture Support Tables  (AGSTs) is still the subject of Plurilateral 
consultations.  There are other areas where decisions are required by the Government of Kazakhstan.  As Members also know from information available, the Eurasian Economic Union 
Agreement was signed on 29 May 2014 in Astana by the Presidents of Belarus, Kazakhstan and 
the Russian Federation.  This development will need to be appropriately, factually, reflected in the updated version of the Draft Report of the Working Party on the Accession of Kazakhstan.  Yet, I am able to report that in the context of these developments, consultations have been 
on-going, in various formats and configurations, between the Delegation of Kazakhstan, led by 
Minister Zhanar Aitzhanova, Chief Negotiator for the Accession of Kazakhstan and Members of the Working Party.  I have conveyed my appreciation to Minister Aitzhanova for her energy and dedication to advance the Accession of Kazakhstan to conclusion.   
 
My assessment, at this stage, is that a substantive technical basis exists for the next stage 
of our work.  However, I should be equally clear that subsequent Meeting Cycles, beyond June, shall depend on the resolution of key outstanding substantive questions and the timely submission 
of inputs from Astana, without which meetings shall not proceed.  In consultation with the 
Secretariat, annexed to this message is how I en visage moving forward.  In accordance with 
standard accession practice, the Director of Accessi ons Division will chair Plurilateral Meetings.  
I envisage a "Transparency Session on the Eurasian Economic Union Agreement".  I will chair this 
session myself.  I have also tentatively scheduled a full cycle of meetings of the Working Party in 
the week of 21 July.     
The foregoing is my assessment of the state-of-play on the Accession of Kazakhstan.  I urge 
Members that we proceed along these lines and adjust , appropriately, as we move ahead.  Specific 
invitations shall be issued to convene planned meetings and plurilaterals.   
 
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ANNEX: 
ACCESSION OF KAZAKHSTAN - CALENDAR OF MEETINGS  
JUNE 2014 
Date Time Meeting Meeting room 
Wednesday,  
25 June 2014 09:00 – 18:00  SPS Plurilateral Meeting E 
Thursday,  
26 June 2014 15:00 – 18:00  Transparency Session on the Eurasian  Economic 
Union Agreement E 
 Notes:  Enquiries on the calendar should be addressed to: 
o Ms. Maika Oshikawa ( maika.oshikawa@wto.org  – Tel: 022 739 56 43), Secretary of the 
Working Party on the Acce ssion of Kazakhstan; and 
o Ms. Nadia Ferdi ( nadia.ferdi@wto.org  – Tel: 022 739 65 60), Administrative Manager.  
 
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