. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/126 
2 December 2009 
 (09-6500) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
BELARUS 
 
Statement by H.E. Mr. Mikhail Khvostov
 
Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the UN Office at Geneva  
 
(Speaking as an Observer ) 
  
 On behalf of the Belarus’ delegation to the 7
th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade 
Organization, let me express our gratitude to the organizers of this Conference the-Government of 
Switzerland, to the Republic and Canton of Gene va, to the WTO Secretariat and Members.  The 
Conference is an important event for reviewing a nd strengthening the multilateral trading system as a 
whole.  We believe that the Conference will se nd a strong signal of commitment to the prompt 
conclusion of the Doha Round.  The importance of  such a signal and fulfilment of the commitment 
cannot be overestimated in the current economic circumstances. 
  Belarus’ delegation notes with pleasure that  the WTO rules proved to be an effective 
framework which helped to avoid high-intensity protectionism in the times of the global economic 
crisis.  Monitoring of the trade developments la unched in the WTO turned out to be a source of 
valuable and up-to-date information for the govern ments and served to support the efforts aimed at 
constraining the protectionism worldwide.   Another important element of the WTO system is accession of new members.  Every new accession is important to the WTO’s ability to manage  the global trading system.  Unfortunately, we 
have no one to congratulate on becoming a new WTO member at this Ministerial gathering.  As an 
observer, Belarus shares concerns of many accedi ng countries in regard to the lengthy WTO accession 
procedure.  We are confident that the acceleration and simplification of the accession procedure would make the multilateral trading system more universal.  The multilateral rule-based trading 
system creates new conditions for sustainable deve lopment of transitional and developing economies, 
and we hope the accession process will be accelerated. 
 
 Belarus, being itself an acceding country, reconfirms the priority of becoming a WTO 
Member.  With about 60 per cent of export to GDP  ratio Belarus is profoundly interested in 
cementing existing access to foreign markets and obtaining new opportunities through the multilateral 
trading system. 
 
 Meanwhile, Belarus has been pur suing deeper regional integration.  I would like to emphasize 
that the creation of the Customs Union be tween Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia as from 
January 2010 benefits not only its Memb ers, but also their trading partners. 
  This long-expected milestone development has introduced a new dimension into the WTO 
accession processes of the three countries.  Belarus together with Kazakhstan and Russia decided to 
accede to the WTO jointly. WT/MIN(09)/ST/126 
Page 2  
 
   I would like to reassure the WTO Members of  our willingness to intensify the process of 
accession to the WTO.   Let me conclude by expressing our sincere gratitude to the WTO Members and the WTO 
Secretariat for their efforts to strengthen the WTO system, the system Belarus would be proud to 
participate in. 
 
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