RESTRICTED  
 
JOB/ACC/49  
 
8 April 2015  
(15-1917)  Page: 1/2  
 Working Party on the Accession of Kazakhstan    
 
 ACCESSION OF KAZAKHSTAN  
SUMMARY OF THE FIFTH TECHNICAL VERIFICATI ON MEETING ON THE DRAFT SCHEDULE OF 
CONCESSIONS AND COMMITMENTS ON GOODS AND FINAL NEXT STEPS 
8 April 2015 
The Fifth Technical Verification Meeting (TVM) on the Draft Schedule of Concessions and 
Commitments on Goods on the Accession of Kazakhstan was held on 8 April 2015.  The meeting 
was chaired by Mr. Chiedu Osakwe, Director of the Accessions Division.  The Delegation of Kazakhstan was led by H.E. Mrs. Zhanar Aitzhano va, Minister of Economic Integration and Chief 
Negotiator for the WTO Accession of Kazakhstan.  Twenty-one (21) delegations from 29 Signatory 
Members
1 and the Russian Federation participated.     
 The set purpose of the meeting was to undertake a technical review to verify the accuracy of 
the negotiated concessions by Signatory Members with the Acceding Government of Kazakhstan, 
as consolidated by the Secretariat.  The context of the TVM was noted at the start.  The Fifth TVM 
was the concluding stage of the process of technical verification, originally initiated in April 2012.   
  
The meeting undertook a technical review of  the following documents: (i) the Fifth 
Revision of the Draft Schedule of Concessions and Commitments on Goods, contained in document WT/ACC/SPEC/KAZ/10/Rev.5 and circulated on 17 March 2015; and, 
(ii) WT/ACC/SPEC/KAZ/10/Rev.5/Corr.1, circulated on 8 April 2015, reflecting additional market 
access concessions by Kazakhstan on beef TRQs.  The Fifth Revision was the first complete draft Goods Schedule on the Accession of Kazakhstan for the final stage review by the 29 Signatory 
Members, the Acceding Government of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation.  The Fifth Revision 
superseded previous versions of the Draft Goods Sc hedule of Kazakhstan and reflected, in addition 
to tariff bound rates, the entirety of the Goods Schedule structure namely: schedule headnotes; 
TRQ regime; agricultural domestic support; export subsidies; ITA commitments, including 
Attachment B; duty implementation matrices; and, export duties.    
 Minister Aitzhanova, Chief Negotiator for the WTO Accession of Kazakhstan, made an 
introductory statement on behalf of the Government of Kazakhstan.  In spite of a drawn-out, 
challenging process, complexity and uniqueness of the negotiations, the Government of Kazakhstan remained fully committed to finalizing its WTO Accession negotiations over the next 
few weeks. Kazakhstan highly valued WTO me mbership and welcomed the strong support 
of Members.    
 
The Secretariat made a factual presentation on the Fifth Revision of the Draft Goods 
Schedule.  The presentation described the contents and the results from the 3-year consolidation exercise and explained how complex and unique questions had been addressed and resolved.  
                                               
1 Argentina; Australia; Brazil; Cana da; China; Ecuador; Egypt; El Sa lvador; European Union; Georgia; 
Guatemala; India; Japan; Korea, Republic of; Mexi co; Norway; Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Switzerland; 
Chinese Taipei; Turkey and United States of America.   JOB/ACC/49 
 
- 2 - 
 
  In the technical exchange that foll owed, 14 Signatory Members intervened.2  
Several Members gave their support to the Fifth Revision and its Corrigendum and confirmed that they had concluded their technical verification and expected no further questions and comments.  Some Members, in full accordance with their ri ghts, as Signatory Members, requested for short 
additional time to finalize their analysis and review.  There was a request for clarification of an 
editorial nature, which the Secretariat provided, satisfactorily, sequel to the meeting.    
Overall, the Fifth Technical Verification Meeting was concrete, in keeping with the set purpose of 
the meeting and, the outcome was positive.  It was noted that market access negotiations on goods had been concluded. The results from the concluded negotiations had been reflected and the Fifth Technical Verification Meeting had advanced the process to the threshold of finalising the 
Draft Schedule of Concessions and Commitments on Goods on the Accession of Kazakhstan, 
subject to and in the context of the Final Next Steps, as identified hereunder:           
 
Final Next Steps  
 
 The Secretariat shall generate the Sixth Revision of the Draft Goods Schedule 
(WT/ACC/SPEC/KAZ/10/Rev.6).  The version would take account and reflect the following: 
 
(i) WT/ACC/SPEC/KAZ/10/Rev.5/Corr.1;  
(ii) Technical clarifications and corrections already indicated; and,   
(iii) The content of a concluded final bilateral agreement, already deposited with the 
Secretariat and not yet reflected in the Fifth Revision.  
  
 The Sixth Revision of the Draf t Goods Schedule would be circulated to all 29 Signatory 
Members, the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan on Friday, 10 April 2015.   
 
 If Signatory Members had any additional questions and requests for clarification, strictly of a 
technical nature, these were to be submitted to the Secretariat, with the Delegation of Kazakhstan on copy, before 10 April 2015.   
 
 It was noted that this was the final Technical Verification Meeting.  No further meeting 
was envisaged.   
 
 The final clean version of the Draft Goods Schedule would be subsequently circulated to 
all Members of the Working Party on the Accessi on of Kazakhstan by Wednesday, 15 April 
2015.   
 
 The Secretariat confirmed that, in accordance with its long standing practice, Signatory 
Members and the Acceding Government retained the right to continue with technical 
analysis.   
 Finally, Signatory Members, the Acceding Go vernment of Kazakhstan and the Russian 
Federation were informed that the positive outcome of this end stage Fifth Technical Verification 
Meeting would be reported to WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, H.E. Mr. Fernando de Mateo, Chairman of the General Council and H.E.  M r. Ve s a Hi mane n, Chai rman of the  W orking  
Party on the Accession of Kazakhstan. 
 
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2 Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of; Turkey; China; Brazil; India; Australia; Guatem ala; European Union; 
United States of America; Argentina; Chinese Ta ipei; Mexico; Japan and Korea, Republic of.