WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
20 April 2012 
 (12-2103) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011  
 
  
SUMMARY RECORD OF THE FIFTH MEETING 
 
Held at the Geneva International Confer ence Centre (CICG), Geneva, Switzerland 
on Friday, 17 December 2011, at 12 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. 
 
Chairperson: His Excellency Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga (Nigeria) 
  
1.  Action by Ministers (Agenda Item 2) - Accession of Samoa ................................................. 1  
2.  Action by Ministers (Agenda Item 2) - Accession of Montenegro ........................................ 8  
 
 
1. Action by Ministers (Agenda Item 2) - Accession of Samoa 
1. The Chairman called the meeting to order a nd welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister of 
Samoa, H.E. Mr Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo, and the entire Delegation of Samoa.  He recalled 
that, in October 2011, the Working Party on th e Accession of Samoa had adopted its Report, which 
was now before the Ministerial Conference in documents WT/MIN(11)/1 and Addenda 1 and 2. 
2. Mr Atsuyuki Oike (Japan), Chairman of the Working Party on the Accession of Samoa, 
introducing the Report of the Working Party, reca lled that Samoa had requested accession to the 
WTO in April 1998 and a Working Party had been est ablished by the General Council in July of the 
same year.  The process had gained momentum fr om 2002 onwards, with the first meeting of the 
Working Party held in March 2002.  Negotiations in  the Working Party had particularly intensified 
from the beginning of 2011 and the second and final Working Party meeting had been held on 28 October 2011.    
3. The documents before the Ministerial Conference were the result of 13 years of work.  Over 
this period, Samoa, with a small but efficient admi nistration, had worked hard to meet the challenges 
and complexities of the accession process.  He paid tribute to the Samoan authorities and the team of 
devoted and committed negotiators who had done an  admirable job, responding promptly to the 
numerous requests made by Members, right up to th e very final stages of the negotiations.  The 
success stemmed in no small way from Samoa's commi tment to domestic reform and the efforts in 
Apia to enact and implement WTO-consistent legislation. 
4. Similarly, he wished to pay tribute to the WT O membership for the ha rd work, flexibility and 
goodwill shown to conclude the accession process successf ully.  Technical assistance, as requested by 
Samoa, had been provided by bilateral donors, particularly Australia and New Zealand, and 
multilateral agencies.  He extended his appreciation to  all concerned, including the WTO Secretariat, 
especially Mr Chiedu Osakwe and his team, for their determined efforts and valuable contributions.  
He also extended his appreciation to his predecessors , Ms Kuni Sato and Mr Yoichi Suzuki of Japan 
who had chaired and guided the work of the Working Party in early years. WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
Page 2  
 
  5. Samoa's Accession to the WTO, as well as that of Vanuatu, had a particular importance 
because they were both least-developed countries.  Promoting LDCs' accession to the WTO was a 
very important issue, and a draft decision had b een submitted to the Ministerial Conference on this 
topic.  In this context, he commended Samoa fo r its strenuous efforts under difficult conditions and 
limitations, and hoped that the country would make some contribution to discussions on this issue by 
sharing its experience.  
6. The Accession Package had been adopted by  the Working Party at its meeting on 
28 October 2011 on an ad referendum  basis.  By this action, the Working Party had completed its 
mandate and had forwarded the doc umentation to the Ministerial Conference for decision.  The 
Package, constituting the terms of entry of Samoa into the WTO, was contained in the following 
documents: the Report of the Working Party in document WT/MIN(11)/1; the Schedule of 
Concessions and Commitments in Goods in docum ent WT/MIN(11)/1/Add.1; and the Schedule of 
Specific Commitments in Services in document WT /MIN(11)/1/Add.2.  The Appendix to the Report 
reproduced the Draft Decision for the Ministerial Conference and the Protocol on the Accession of Samoa to the Agreement Establishing the World Trad e Organization.  Once again, he wished to pay 
tribute to the continuous efforts, positive appr oach and spirit of compromise shown all around, 
particularly in the critical final stages.  In hi s capacity as Chairman of the Working Party, he 
recommended the Report of the Working Party, as well as the Draft Decision and Protocol on Accession, for approval by the Ministerial Conference.   
7. The Chairman, on behalf of the Ministerial Conf erence, thanked Mr Oike for having served as 
Chairman of the Working Party, as well as Mr Suzuki , Ms Kuni Sato and H.E. Mr Shinichi Kitajima 
of Japan for having served as Chairpersons of the Working Party in earlier years. 
8. The Ministerial Conference approved the Draft Protocol on the Accession of Samoa and, in 
accordance with the Decision-Making Procedures unde r Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement 
agreed in November 1995 (WT/L/93), adopted the draft Decision on the Accession of Samoa as 
contained in the report of the Working Party.1  The Ministerial Conference then adopted the report of 
the Working Party in documents WT /MIN(11)/1 and Addenda 1 and 2. 
9. The Chairman said that it gave him great pleasure to welcome the Decision just taken and 
wished to congratulate H.E. Mr Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo, Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa, 
his delegation and the people and Government of Samoa, on the successful completion of the WTO process.  He informed the Ministerial Conference th at the ceremony for the signature of the Protocol 
on the Accession of Samoa by the Director-General, Mr Pascal Lamy, and H.E. Mr Fonotoe Nuafesili 
Pierre Lauofo, presided by the Director-General, would take place immediately after the present 
session.  The Government of Samoa would then submit the Protocol for ratification by its legislative assembly.  In keeping with WTO provisions, Samoa would become a Member of the WTO thirty days following the date of its ratification of the Protocol. 
10. H.E. Mr Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo, Deput y Prime Minister of Samoa, speaking as an 
observer, said that, for Samoa, acceding and becoming the 156th Member of the World Trade 
Organization was a significant milestone in the devel opment of this small island nation.  The signing 
of the Accession Protocol of Samoa to the Marrakesh Agreement was the culmination of years of hard work, sheer determination and partnership between Samoa and its bilateral partners, accompanied by 
the invaluable technical support provided by the WT O Secretariat.  Samoa's engagement throughout 
this process had been based on the principles of  transparency, cooperation and good faith and a 
genuine interest to take a stand in the multilateral rules-based trading regime.   
                                                      
1 The Decision, as well as the text of the Protocol on Accession, was subsequently circulated in 
document WT/L/840.  WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
 Page 3 
 
 
  11. He recalled that the General Council 2002 Guid elines for acceding LDCs and the 2007 Hong 
Kong Ministerial Declaration urged Members to faci litate, accelerate and give priority to concluding 
the accessions of LDCs as rapidly as possible.  In view of these resolutions, Samoa had not expected that its accession would take thirteen long years.   In hindsight, however, these years had given Samoa 
the time needed to put in place relevant legislativ e reforms, institutional strengthening, strategies and 
policies tailored to its needs and capacities, to facilitate the future of trading under the WTO 
mechanism and principles.  These years had also gr anted Samoa more time to work closely with 
national stakeholders, including the private sector  and NGOs, to make sure that their voices were 
heard and their perspectives known.  The package th at was before the Ministerial Conference was the 
product of extensive consultations with Samoa's stak eholders and agreed commitment levels with its 
bilateral partners.  The process had been long, ardu ous and taxing on financia l and human resources.  
However, Samoa was satisfied with the outcomes and felt that it had arrived at a conclusion that was beneficial for the country.  With its WTO member ship, Samoa intended to participate actively and 
effectively in the multilateral rules-based tradi ng system and secure a permanent most-favourite-
nations status that would provide predictable and non-discriminatory market access to goods and 
services in all WTO Members.  Samoa's membership  would also assist the Samoan Government in 
providing an improved, transparent and pred ictable domestic investment climate.   
12. The WTO declaration on easing of patents for LD Cs was equally important as it would enable 
Samoa to access essential products at  affordable rates, such as thos e needed to support primary health 
care and the health sector in general.  With a re latively small trade sector, Samoa attached great 
importance to legal protection against unlawful and unfair trade restrictions and valued the Dispute 
Settlement Mechanism.  Samoa acknowledged the responsibility of meeting and implementing its 
obligations as Member of the WTO and would par ticularly endeavour to honour and meet these 
obligations as it moved to the implementation phase.  His country only asked that the cooperation and 
support given to it during the accession phase did not waver, that any success gained did not regress, 
and that the partnerships formed did not dissipate.   
13. In concluding, he wished to convey on beha lf of the Government of Samoa a sincere 
appreciation to all WTO Members for the coope ration and support rendered throughout the accession 
process.  He expressed gratitude for the support and invaluable dialogue with the members of Samoa's 
Working Party and, in particular, he thanked Japan  for its leadership as th e Chair of the Working 
Party.  He wished to pay a special tribute to Samo a's traditional partners in the Pacific, namely New 
Zealand and Australia, for their unwavering support,  sound advice and financia l assistance.  Finally, 
he thanked the WTO Director-General and the st aff of the Accession Division for their professional 
advice.   
14. The Director-General said Samoa was the fifth least-developed country to  join the multilateral 
trading system since 1995.  For a small island in the Pacific, the road to the WTO was long and 
winding, but the joining of Samoa and Vanuatu demonstrated that it was possible with patience, 
perseverance and determination.  In Samoa's accession process, Members had learnt many lessons:  
that technical assistance and capacity building were crucial to empower countries like Samoa to negotiate trade rules; that there were specificities to small, vulnerable island states to be taken into 
account when negotiating trade rules; that the ru les governing accessions of least-developed countries 
could and had to be further simplified.  With Sa moa joining the WTO, Members would have an active 
partner to lead on all these areas and he counted on  the Samoan Deputy Prime Minister and his team 
to help advance the integration of other least-dev eloped countries in the WTO.  He thanked the Chair 
of the Working Party, Mr Atsuyuki Oike, the S ecretariat team led by Chiedu Osakwe for their 
invaluable help in completing Samoa's accession, the ITC led by Patricia Francis, and the WTO technical assistance team for their engagement  in and support for Samoa's accession.  He 
congratulated the Samoan Government and its pe ople for having reached the WTO accession finish 
line and welcomed them to the WTO. WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
Page 4  
 
  15. All delegations that spoke warmly welcomed the accession of Samoa to the WTO and 
congratulated the Government of Samoa on this historical achievement. 
16. The representative of Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDC Group, said that, for a Pacific island 
with its own specific vulnerabilities, Samoa had take n a brave decision to open up its economy and to 
prepare for WTO accession.  Samoa had indeed risen to the occasion and had undertaken a series of 
reforms and commitments that might  have, at times, posed significa nt challenges.  The Group thanked 
all those who had contributed to facilitating the pr ocess for Samoa, particularly, the Chair of the 
Working Party and the concerned members of the Secr etariat.  Samoa, currently, enjoyed non-resident 
status in the WTO, which added another dimensi on to the challenges of the accession process.  In 
order to maximise the benefits of accession, the Group urged Samoa to make good use of the existing 
support structure available in Geneva for Pacifi c Island countries.  The LDC Group, through its 
coordinator, remained ready to provide any possi ble support at any time.  Samoa's experience drove 
home the points raised by Members regarding the n eed for further facilitating and streamlining the 
accession of LDCs.  Samoa's example should also help the Committee that would make recommendations by the middle of 2012 in respon se to the Ministerial Conference Decision on 
simplifying LDC accessions.  The LDC Group looked forward to working closely with Samoa and 
wished to benefit from the unique perspective of a Pacific island nation into its deliberations.  
17. The representative of New Zealand recalled th at, since independence in 1962, New Zealand 
had had a very special relationship with Samo a underwritten by the Treaty of Friendship and 
strengthened by deep family, cultural and economic  ties.  There were 130,000 people of Samoan 
heritage living in New Zealand who played a unique role in that society.  New Zealand and Samoa 
had a strong trading relationship.  About 30 per cent of Samoan im ports came from New Zealand and 
New Zealand received some 12 per cent of Samoa's exports.  More importantly, as tourism represented 21 per cent of Samoan GDP, New Zeala nd provided the bulk of tourists to the Samoan 
islands.  New Zealand understood the special chal lenges facing LDCs and sm all island developing 
states in the accession process.  His delegation ha d noted the progress made by Samoa since 1998 in 
introducing legislative reforms and regulatory changes to bring Samoa's laws into conformity with the 
WTO system.  This had not been straight forward and Samoa's efforts were appreciated.  A very solid set of commitments — 100 per cent binding and serio us commitments in services in 81 sub-sectors — 
was a considerable achievement.  He also noted th at the economic impact of the tsunami had been 
huge, amounting to between 15-18 per cent of GDP, but hoped that this could help build up future 
confidence and economic success for the people of Samoa. 
18. The representative of the United States said that Samoa, while not the first LDC to accede to the 
WTO, had done so on terms that demonstrated its commitment and dedication to economic trade and 
reforms as well as to WTO provisions.  As noted by  the New Zealand Minister, Samoa's commitments 
were fairly extraordinary and very dedicated for a coun try of its size.  The US believed that the established 
trade regime, based on rules and pr inciples that encouraged trade an d investment, would benefit Samoa 
and its citizens.  With Samoa's approach to WTO accession, as with all LDCs', the US had taken great care 
to ensure an approach consistent with the 2002 Guid elines.  He was pleased that  the Eighth Ministerial 
Conference would adopt a Decision directing furt her work to LDC accessions and looked forward to 
participating constructively in the work programme anticipated for 2012.  The US was deeply committed 
to the notion that adoption of WTO provisions could and did build strong economic institutions that had a long-term positive impact on trade, economic grow th and domestic development for LDCs.  The accession 
process was an amazing tool through which LDCs like Samoa could carefully consider the way in which 
trade could advance the prosperity of their citizens.  The US looked forward to Samoa being able to share its experience on how the accession pr ocess helped accomplish these object ives.  Indeed, the experiences 
of recently-acceded LDCs would be of critical value as Members considered additional ways to streamline and improve the accession process.  Finally, he comme nded the entire Samoan delegation for its hard 
work, its patience to complete its negotiations and the skills and flexibilities with which it had crafted its 
final accession package.   WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
 Page 5 
 
 
  19. The representative of Australia said that, as a close regional partner, his country had been an active 
member of the Working Party process  since it began in 1998.  The ac cession process had been a long and 
challenging one for Samoa.  The process of dom estic economic reform required by the WTO accession 
was not an easy fit for any country, but Samoa's commitment to sound economic management and governance had been unwavering and its ability to stay the course of  WTO accession in the wake of the 
2009 earthquake had been nothing short of admirable.  Australia had offered its support to Samoa 
throughout the process and would cont inue to support it after its accession  in its adjustment to an open 
multilateral trading environment.  It would provide support for public sector  reform and trade officials.  It 
would also support private sector growth, including through strengthening financial markets and public 
entities, and it would help strengthening the law and justice system as well as Samoa's capacity to meet the 
quarantine and food safety requirements of trading pa rtners.  Australia also wished to recognized the 
important milestone of Vanuatu having completed it s ratification process, m eaning it was close to 
becoming a fully-fledge WTO Member.  These were impor tant steps for the Pacific, and Australia warmly 
welcomed them.   
20. The representative of the European Union said that the Ministerial Conference agenda on 
accessions was proof of the inclusiveness of the WTO.  It was a sign that all countries relied on the 
organization to maintain a level-playing field and to further enhance a framework that contributed to boost trade and prosperity.  After the accession of Vanuatu in  October, his delegation warmly welcomed Samoa, 
another ACP partner, as a new Member.  Advancing on the accession route was challenging.  Samoa had 
engaged resolutely with the help of WTO Members, including the active support of the EU.  He commended Samoa for its determination and believed that  the right conditions were set for it to bear the 
fruit of its reform agenda and of its full integration in to the multilateral trading system.  In this process, the 
EU had taken due account of the specific constraints of  Samoa as a least-developed country and as a small 
island.  The EU agreed that further efforts must be  developed to facilitate an d streamline the accession of 
LDCs.  As in the past, when the EU  notably set out a proposal in 1999, the EU would actively engage in 
that direction in the months to follow.  The EU was committed to promote a flexible approach in market 
access negotiations, in particular in trade in goods, to take steps to help l east-developed countries to 
comply with WTO rules, to exam ine how to enhance technical assis tance and capacity-building and, 
overall, to pay particular attention to the transp arency of these accession processes.  His delegation 
believed that this would come to the benefit of least-developed countries, but also of the Organization as a whole. 
21. The representative of Japan said that Samoa and hi s country had been cont inuously building and 
deepening their long-term friendship for about 40 years, realizing economic development which benefitted 
both countries as well as the Asia-Pacific region.  Ge ographically, Japan and Samoa shared the Pacific 
Ocean and Japan was pleased to host the Sixth Pacific Island Leaders' meeting (PALM 6) in May 2012 in 
Okinawa, aiming to re inforce co-operation with th e Pacific islands in tackling  the various challenges the 
region faced, such as climate change.  It had been a great honour and a privilege  for Japan to serve as the 
Chair of the Working Party.  The road might have been sometimes bumpy and tough, long and winding, 
but Japan was sure that this experience of hard wo rk had further consolidated bilateral relations and 
enhanced multilateral cooperation.  Japan was determ ined to further contribute to maintaining and 
strengthening the multilateral trading system together with its new WTO partner. 
22. The representative of India said his country had al ways believed that accession to the WTO should 
not be too onerous for acceding coun tries, especially LDCs, and that the WTO should be an open and 
inclusive organization that enabled countries to participate in and benefit from the multilateral trading 
system.  India was therefore happy to see the accessio n of four new Members at the Eighth Ministerial 
Conference.  Keeping in mind th at accession to the WTO was a partic ularly challenging process for a 
LDC, India applauded Samoa on its commendable e fforts and commitment to carry out the necessary 
reforms facilitating its accession.  Samoa's membership  would provide new opportu nities for the country to 
increase trade and gain from participa tion in the global econom y.  India, on its part , was fully committed to 
the needs of LDCs and had extended its duty-free, quo ta-free tariff preference scheme to Samoa.  It had WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
Page 6  
 
  been consistently providing support,  including technical assistance and ca pacity building, to LDCs in the 
process of accession and would be glad to assi st them in the post -accession phase.     
23. The representative of the United Kingdom warm ly welcomed the endorsement of Samoa's 
accession to the WTO, not on ly as a least-developed country and small-island developing state, but also as 
a fellow member of the Commonwealth family.  Sa moa's accession was a furthe r reinforcement of the 
global trading system and its participation in the wo rld trade economy was a significant step in Samoa's 
development.  He applauded the Government of Samoa for the reforms they had implemented to make this accession possible and looked forwar d to working with his Samo an colleagues in the WTO. 
24. The representative of Zambia remarked that Samo a's accession was indeed si gnificant not only for 
the country itself, but also for the entire WTO member ship.  He wished to acknowledge the ancestral roots 
to the African continent of the people of Samoa, of Vanuatu alongside the people of the Caribbean and the 
Pacific nations in general.  Samoa's accession, which took 13 years to achieve, clearly demonstrated the 
lengthy nature of the accession pro cess.  This matter, which had been raised in many fora, remained a 
serious concern to LDCs.  The accession process, especially in so far as the LDCs were concerned, needed 
to be expedited in order to enable  the remaining LDCs, who were currently waiting to join the WTO, to 
finalize their accession formalities.  Members could no t renege on the commitment made in 2001 to 
prioritize the accession of LDCs, and negotiators shou ld continue to uphold this mandate and work 
towards improving the implementation of the 2002  General Council Decision so that LDC accessions 
could be accelerated on terms and conditions that we re commensurate with the level of development of 
each LDC.  Any requirement that went on for so long  was beyond what most LDCs  could afford and could 
upset efforts directed at ensuring  that the WTO lived up to the prin ciples set up in the Preamble to the 
Marrakesh Agreement intended to assi st the smooth and effective integrat ion of developing countries, and 
LDCs in particular, to the multilate ral trading system.  Samoa's accession  was also significant in that it 
marked the fourth LDC to accede to the WTO since it s establishment in 1995, the others being Cambodia, 
Nepal, and Cape Verde.  In the case of Cape Verde, the country had since graduated from LDC status.  All 
things being equal, he expected that Samoa would graduate by 2014.  Zambia commended the 
determination and tenacity of the Samoan governme nt and the collective effo rts and dedication of the 
Working Party chaired by Japan.  Similarly, he wi shed to commend the WTO Director-General for his 
personal commitment to the process, which had been instrumental to the finalization of the Samoan 
accession package.  Samoa was a small and vulnerable economy; it would therefore require the support of 
all Members.   
25. The representative of the Separate Customs Terr itory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, 
on behalf of the Group of Recently Acceded Members (the RAMs Group), said that it was a very 
encouraging and important moment, not only fo r Samoa itself, but also for the WTO and its 
membership.  Accessions always en riched the organization and added to its universality, while the 
economy of the acceding Member benefited from its further integration into the multilateral trading 
system.  The RAMs Group had always been supportive of new WTO accessions, especially those of 
least-developed countries, and looked forward to working constructively with Samoa as a fellow WTO 
Member in the future. 
26. The representative of Tonga said that the accessions of Samoa and Vanuatu would improve the 
integration of the Pacific Islands region into the multilateral trading system, and would help the WTO to be 
more responsive to the current chal lenges in the global economic system .  The development work of the 
WTO was of critical importance to both Tonga and Samoa as small and vulnerable economies.  The re-
affirmation of development as a core element of the WTO's work, including the confirmation that special 
and differential treatment was central to all WTO agreements, was very much welcomed.  Tonga had 
participated in the successful Third Gl obal Review of Aid for Trade in July 2011 and looked forward to 
working with the WTO in moving this initiative forw ard over the coming years.  The opportunities that 
Aid for Trade could offer to vulnerable economi es, including the newly-acceded Members, could 
strengthen the Pacific's effective application of trad e rules and the monitoring of trade measures affecting 
them.  Finally, Tonga highlighted the decisions on accessions and services for LDCs, which would assist  WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
 Page 7 
 
 
  LDCs both in the Pacific region and further abroad.  Tonga believed that the positive developments 
emerging from the Eighth Ministeria l Conference would complement the Pacific region's commitment to 
foster stronger economic integration and reinforce Tonga's commitment to promoting stronger economic growth, increased employment opportunities, and development on all of its island economies. 
27. The representative of Fiji recalled that Samoa and Fiji had long-standing trade relations and shared 
similar concerns as small island developing states with  highly vulnerable econom ies.  Fiji, therefore, 
looked forward to working with Samo a as a Member of the WTO.   
28. The representative of Trinidad and Tobago said that Samoa's membership was particularly 
gratifying, not only because of size and levels of development, but also  because of the special friendship 
between Caribbean and Pacific States.  Trinidad and Tobago supported the rules-based structure of the 
multilateral trading system and, accord ingly, believed that this should  be applied to the WTO accession 
process.  Therefore, the establishment of predictable rules consistent with the spirit of the WTO accession 
process was timely.  In-built in the process should be some  level of flexibility to fa cilitate the disparities in 
size between LDCs and small and vulnerable ec onomies on one hand, and large WTO Members on the 
other.  Therefore, Trinidad and Tobago supported the call of other Members to make the accession process 
more amenable to facilitating the integration of LD Cs into the multilateral trading system and further 
supported the Ministerial Decision on LDC acces sion to enhance tran sparency in the accession 
negotiations.  His delegation welcomed the notion  of benchmarking commitments while enhancing 
technical assistance and capacity-build ing activities to complete the accession process and implement the 
commitments made.  His delegation was also of th e view that WTO Members could not continue to 
conduct business as usual and that recommendations on how to improve the accession process must be 
adopted in the course of 2012.  He hoped that those recommendations would be further beneficial in scope 
for developing countries acceding to  the WTO.  The accession process was perceived as being too onerous 
and the fact-finding stage of information gathering by the Working Parties was slightly long, repetitive and 
could benefit from additional coordina tion.  In this regard, Trinidad  and Tobago pointed to the accession 
process of the Bahamas which had been in progress fo r just over a decade.  In welcoming Samoa to the 
WTO, Trinidad and Tobago urged it to hit the ground running as it completed its administrative 
requirements and to make its contribu tion to the DDA process immediately. 
29. The representative of Kenya, on behalf of the Af rican Group, said that, as an LDC, Samoa shared 
many similarities in the aspirations and common trade interests of many African countries.  Samoa had 
been a candidate country to the WTO since 1998.  As Members welcomed it to the WTO family, they 
should not fail to take note of the length of time th e accession process had taken.  As pointed out by the 
Samoan Deputy Prime Minister, Samoa had taken the delay as an opportunity to put in place all the 
required systems.  He noted that close to 99 per cent of global trade was now with in — or almost within — 
the umbrella of the WTO and appealed to fellow Members to do what was n eeded to facilitate the 
accession of the few remaining countries who were still outside the WTO system so that there could be a 
full 100 per cent multilateral trading system.  The recognition by the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the 
contribution of accession to strengthening the WTO, as contained in the text on the elements for political 
guidance, was an important first step.  However, in or der to fully commit to the letter and spirit of the text 
and to ensure that the WTO became a more represent ative and universal organization, the African Group 
wished to see the adoption of clear measures an d decisions aimed at simplifying the accession processes 
for developing countries, especially  the least-developed countries, in accordance with their level of 
development and through fully tran sparent procedures.  The African Group hoped that the accession of 
Samoa, the Russian Federation, Vanuatu and Montenegro would bring new impetus to the work of the 
WTO, including the streamlining of future accession processes and the conclu sion of all outstanding issues 
including the DDA.   
30. The representative of Barbados, on behalf of the SVEs, said that the process of accession was not 
an easy task and the SVEs were pleased that Samoa, having committed itself to the process, had achieved a 
successful outcome.  The SVEs recogn ized that there were important commitments to be honoured and 
applauded Samoa for its willingness to take on those re sponsibilities.  They believed that it was important WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
Page 8  
 
  for small island economies to be integrated into the global trading system  and the WTO membership 
offered that opportunity.  Very often, the passage required tec hnical assistance and capacity-building.  
However, the facilities available from the WTO and developed-country partners should help in achieving this integration.  While Samoa was geographically far away from Barbados, her country recognized the 
challenges it faced.  Diseconomies of scale, high external  transportation costs, coupl ed with the challenges 
of climate change were major challenges to sma ll countries with limited resources.  She therefore 
applauded the Government of Samoa for implemen ting the necessary reforms to make this accession 
possible.  It was a message of hope for all those small economies that were waiting in line to gain 
accession.  The SVEs believed that the reform of  the accession process should assist those who were 
awaiting accession and that this was a good beacon for th e future. 
31. The Chairman added the congratulations of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 
Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and the people of Nigeri a to the Government and people of Samoa.  He 
added that delegations that  had not been able to take the floor  might wish to place their expression of 
welcome on record by submitting a statement to the Secretariat.2 
32. The Ministerial Conference took note of the st atements and the expressions of support for the 
accession of Samoa.  
33. The Chairman then invited Deputy Prime Minister  Fonotoe Nuafesili Pierre Lauofo to join the 
Director-General at the signing table and invited th e Director-General to proceed with the ceremony 
for the signature of the Protocol on Accession.  
34. The meeting adjourned at 1.15 p.m. 
2. Action by Ministers (Agenda Item 2) - Accession of Montenegro 
35. The Chairman called the meeting to order and welcomed the Prime Minister of Montenegro, 
Mr Igor Lukši ć, and the entire Delegation of Montenegro.  He recalled that in early December 2011 
the Working Party on the Accession of Montenegro ha d adopted its Report, which was now before the 
Ministerial Conference in documents WT /MIN(11)/7 and Addenda 1 and 2.   
36. Ambassador Andrej Logar (Slovenia), Chairm an of the Working Party on the Accession of 
Montenegro, in introducing the Working Part y's Report and the Accession Package of the 
Government of Montenegro, said that this was an hi storic day for Montenegro, the fourth country to 
conclude successfully its accession negotiations in 2011, and for the WTO, as Members were poised 
to approve the terms of Montenegro's entry into the WTO.  Montenegro's accession process had taken 
seven years, during which the Working Party had held  eight formal meetings, seven of which he had 
chaired since July 2006.  The Government of Monten egro had worked hard to meet the challenges and 
navigate the complexity of WTO accession.  It had persevered during the last three years with all 
parties to restore momentum.  The documents before the Ministerial Conference reflected the results of hard technical work, committed political leader ship and sustained engagement on Montenegro's 
part.  He wished to pay tribute to the Montenegrin team who had worked tirelessly to bring the WTO accession to a successful conclusion responding pr omptly to requests by WTO Members.  As 
Chairman of the Working Party, he also wished to pay tribute to all Members for their efforts, 
goodwill and spirit of compromise, especially in the final stages of the accession process.   
37. The results of negotiations, constituting the term s of entry for Montenegro into the WTO, 
were contained in the following documents: th e Report of the Working Party in document 
WT/MIN(11)/7; the Schedule of Concessions and Commitments in Goods in document 
WT/MIN(11)/7/Add.1; and the Schedule of Specific Commitments in Services in document 
                                                      
2 Such statements are included in Annex I to the present records.  In addition, many expressions of 
welcome were contained in statements made under Agenda Item 1.  WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
 Page 9 
 
 
  WT/MIN(11)/7/Add.2.  The accession package was adopted ad referendum  by the Working Party at 
its meeting on 5 December 2011.  The recommenda tions contained in the Report were before the 
Ministerial Conference for decision.  The Appendi x to the Report reproduced the Draft Decision for 
the Ministerial Conference and the Protocol on the Accession of Montenegro to the WTO.  He 
thanked the Members of the Working Party and th e entire membership for their engagement, which 
had enabled the multilateral trading system to bri ng this accession process to a successful completion.   
38. The Chairman, on behalf of the Ministeria l Conference, thanked Ambassador Logar for 
having served as Chairman of the Working Party and H.E. Mr Gosnar (Slovenia) for having served as 
Chairman of the Working Party in earlier years. 
39. The Ministerial Conference approved the Draft Protocol on the Accession of Montenegro and, 
in accordance with the Decision-Making Proced ures under Articles IX and XII of the WTO 
Agreement agreed in November 1995 (WT/L/93), adopted the draft Decision on the Accession of 
Montenegro as contained in the report of the Working Party.3  The Ministerial Conference then 
adopted the report of the Working Party in do cuments WT/MIN(11)/7 and Addenda 1 and 2. 
40. The Chairman said that it gave him great pleasure to welcome the Decision on the Accession 
of Montenegro to the WTO.  He congratulated the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Mr Igor Lukši ć, 
and his entire team, and the people and the Governme nt of Montenegro on the successful completion 
of the WTO accession process.  He informed the Mi nisterial Conference that the ceremony for the 
signature of the Protocol on the Accession of Mont enegro by the Director-General, Mr Pascal Lamy, 
and Prime Minister Igor Lukši ć, presided by the Director-General, would take place immediately after 
the present session.  The Government of Montenegro would then submit the Protocol for ratification 
by its legislative assembly.  In keeping with WT O provisions, Montenegro would become a Member 
of the WTO thirty days following the date of its ratification of the Protocol. 
41. H.E. Mr Igor Lukši ć, Prime Minister of Montenegro, speaking as an observer, said that it was 
an honour to address the Ministerial Conference on behalf of his Government and to express his 
pleasure that, with Members' unanimous vote of acce ptance, Montenegro would become a Member of 
the WTO, the most significant trade organization globally.  The year 2011 had been particularly 
successful for Montenegro.  His country was stepping firmly down the road of integration into the 
European structure.  A fact that had been confir med by the decision taken by the European Council to 
open accession talks for the EU me mbership in June 2012, based on further implementation of 
standards.  With good neighbourhood relations, in ternal political and economic stability, ethnic and 
religious diversity, attractiveness for investors, re gional and international co -operation, Montenegro 
was a reliable partner and, in times of global fi nancial and economic crisis, it could serve as an 
example to other countries on the road to integration.  
42. The formal acceptance of Montenegro in to the WTO represented another important 
achievement in the process of integration into m odern international economic structures and it was the 
confirmation of the quality of approach and the cred ibility of the efforts invested, as well as the result 
of the Government's reforms in the past six year s.  Through its commitment, Montenegro had proved 
to be open and ready to operate according to th e principles of the developed world and that it 
belonged to the most eminent global free trad e family.  With WTO membership, Montenegro 
accepted the duty to observe the internationally a dopted rules of operation.  It provided equal 
treatment to enterprises abroad and sent another positi ve signal to foreign investors.  Through the free 
trade agreements with the EU, EFTA, Turkey, Ukraine, and soon with Russia, Belarus and 
Kazakhstan, Montenegro demonstrated that its economy was open.  Its comparative advantage in 
foreign relations, together with internal efforts to preserve fiscal and financial stability, pursue 
                                                      
3 The Decision, as well as the text of the Protocol on Accession, was subsequently circulated in 
document WT/L/841. WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
Page 10  
 
  structural reforms, improve the business environm ent and reduce business barriers, made Montenegro 
competitive in the global market.   
43. As the experience of other Member States had shown, the WTO membership of Montenegro 
would lead to increases in FDI, faster know ledge and technology transfer, strengthened 
competitiveness of local producers as prerequisites for sustainable growth and development of its 
economy and improved quality of life for its citizen .  WTO membership was even more important, 
especially keeping in mind that the financial crisis  was not over and that Europe was still suffering 
from its consequences.  In this context, he felt encouraged by the fact that a number of local 
businesses had positioned themselves successfully in th e regional and wider market, thus confirming 
their competitiveness; he was certain that after WTO accession their number would continue to grow.  
In concluding, he thanked the WTO Director-Gen eral and Ambassador Andrej Logar for their 
personal efforts as well as the EU, the US a nd other Members who had facilitated the accession 
process.   
44. The Director-General said that the conclu sion of the WTO accession process and the approval 
of Montenegro's terms of membership by the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference were commendable 
achievements.  He congratulated Prime Minister Igor Lukši ć for his leadership, and paid special 
tribute to the Government and the people of M ontenegro.  The Prime Minister's strong political 
leadership had been matched by an exceptionally ta lented technical and "pa tient" negotiating team led 
by Minister Kavari ć and his Deputy Goran Scepanovic to which Gordana Djurovic had ably 
contributed.  By any measure, Montenegro's nego tiations had required limitless patience.  Vital 
systemic lessons had been drawn from this accession.  The WTO accession process provided a 
platform for domestic reforms, which were necessary for all countries to grow, develop and prosper.  
WTO Members designed their economic, trade and inv estment policies within a stable, predictable, 
and rules-based system.  For Montenegro, being pa rt of the multilateral trading system underlined a 
firm commitment to transparency, openness and the ru le of law.  WTO membership was an insurance 
policy against protectionism whose value was increas ing in an uncertain and rapidly changing global 
political and economic environment.  As with the accessions of Vanuatu, the Russian Federation and 
Samoa, the accession of Montenegro was timely.  These four accessions represented a vote of confidence in the Organization and the multilateral trading system and sent a strong, clear message 
that the WTO advanced with its regular wo rk, including on accessions, and its membership was 
beneficially enlarged.  He hoped that Montenegro 's accession would be a good omen for more Balkan 
countries to join the WTO.  
45. All delegations that spoke warmly welcomed  the accession of Montenegro to the WTO and 
congratulated the Government of Montenegro for this historical achievement. 
46. The representative of the European Union reca lled the importance of the political, economic 
and cultural relations with Montenegro.  The EU had actively supported Montenegro throughout the 
accession process by providing technical assistance and support.  The EU had been the first WTO 
Member to conclude its bilateral negotiations with Montenegro in Ap ril 2008.  Additionally, Slovenia, 
an EU Member, had chaired the Working Group on the Accession of Montenegro to the WTO in an 
efficient and determined manner.  The EU rema ined convinced that strengthening the multilateral 
trading system was a factor for stable and sustaine d economic growth.  In this context, the successful 
integration of a new Member into the rules-based sy stem had to be a priority for all WTO Members.  
Montenegro's accession had been turbulent and there had been open and pendi ng matters in bilateral 
negotiations which had dragged the accession process for several years.  The EU congratulated 
Montenegro for the efforts undertaken to find solu tions to these problems.  Montenegro was a small 
country which, after a complex economic, political and social transformati on, was now becoming a 
modern and dynamic economy and a good example in the region.  The EU hoped that the accession of Montenegro to the WTO would open the path to  accession for other Western Balkans countries with 
which the EU had close economic and trade ties.  The EU would provide the necessary support to 
modernize their economies so that they could achieve  the same success within th e WTO in the future.    WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
 Page 11 
 
 
  47. The representative of the United States said that  her country took great pleasure in approving 
Montenegro's accession package.  She quoted Amba ssador Kirk's words on the occasion of Russia's 
accession: "Members were truly making the WTO a world  trade organization."  As someone who had 
worked closely with Ambassador Richard Holbrook e to negotiate the Dayton Peace Accords that had 
ended the war in Bosnia and helped to lay the fou ndations for a more peaceful region, she took special 
pride in being amongst the first to congratulate Monten egro on its historic achievement.  It had been a 
long road from Montenegro's original participati on in the GATT 1947 as part of Yugoslavia to its full 
independence and separate application to the WTO.  Montenegro's accession package was one of the 
best ever offered by an applicant, demonstra ting the country's determination to use the accession 
process as a framework for economic reforms.  The US applauded Montenegro for the diligence and 
the patience with which it had pursued the negotiatio ns and for the grace with which it had crafted its 
final accession package.  The outcome reflected th e hard work and dedication of many people and 
many governments.  
48. The representative of the Separate Customs Terr itory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, 
on behalf of the Group of Recently Acceded Members (the RAMs Group), said that it was a very 
encouraging and important moment, not only for M ontenegro itself, but also for the WTO and its 
membership.  Accessions always en riched the Organization and adde d to its universality, while the 
economy of the acceding Member benefited from its further integration into the multilateral trading 
system.  The RAMs Group had always been supportiv e of new WTO accessions and it looked forward 
to working constructively with Montenegro  as a fellow WTO Member in the future. 
49. The representative of Ukraine said his country supported Montenegro's commitments to the 
European values and the economic reforms being im plemented in Montenegro which were aimed at 
furthering economic development.  His country believe d that, with the accession of Montenegro to the 
WTO, trade and economic cooperation between Ukra ine and Montenegro would substantively grow 
and result in an increase of bilateral trade volumes and investment activities.  Ukraine was sure that 
the Free Trade Agreement recently signed in Ki ev between the governments of Ukraine and 
Montenegro created a good basis in that sense.  
50. The representative of Kenya, on behalf of the African Group, said that the Group was aware 
that the accession process was lengthy and cumbersome and demanded heavy investment in terms of 
energy, time and resources.  With the successful accessions of Vanuatu, the Russian Federation, Samoa and Montenegro, the membership of the WTO had grown from 153 to 157 Members.  This 
clearly indicated that a substantial amount of tr ade that was previously transacted outside the WTO 
rules was now under the multilateral trading system.  The African Group wished to reiterate that the 
few remaining countries that had not yet acceded shou ld be adequately facilitated to accede to ensure 
that global trade was fully driven by predictable rules.   This was in line with Africa's belief that global 
trade should be governed by a set of mutually accep table rules.  The African Group looked forward to 
partnering with Montenegro in ensuring that the mu ltilateral trading system and its rules truly worked 
for development.   
51. The representative of the United Kingdom strongly welcomed the endorsement of 
Montenegro's accession to the WTO, particularly give n its significance in the context of Montenegro's 
status as a candidate for membership of the EU.  Montenegro's participation in the WTO was a further 
boost to the multilateral trading system and was a nother important incremental step to the WTO 
becoming a truly universal organization.  
52. The representative of Croatia commended Montenegro – with which her country had 
excellent political and economic relations – for its  efforts, patience and determination during the 
negotiations.  Croatia had been a member of the M ontenegro's Working Party and had participated in 
its work from the beginning.  Similarly to Croatia 's negotiating process, seven years had passed since 
Montenegro had applied for accession to the WTO in  2004.  The Croatian delegation was glad that 
Montenegro's accession package was on the agenda of the Eighth Ministerial Conference, paving the WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
Page 12  
 
  way for Montenegro's further integration into the mu ltilateral trading system.  She was certain that all 
the necessary reforms that Montenegro had carried out to become a Member of the WTO had already 
started giving results and would definitely c ontribute to its economic development.  WTO 
membership would enable Montenegro to par ticipate successfully in the global economy.  
Montenegro's accession to the WTO was seen as a sign of the strength of the Organisation and its 
determination to move forward, but also as a sign of Montenegro's readiness to cope with all the 
challenges of membership.   
53. The representative of Ecuador expressed hi s country's satisfaction for the successful 
conclusion of the accession process and hoped that, with Montenegro's accession and its increased 
participation in international trade, the country's  economic development woul d consolidate.     
54. The representative of Turkey said that the WTO was taking another crucial step contributing 
to its universal character.  Montenegro would b ecome a WTO Member in 2012 when the Free Trade 
Agreement recently concluded between Montenegro and Turkey would be implemented.  Turkey 
supported all acceding countries, at every stage of th eir accession negotiations, with the belief that this 
would create synergy for the benefit of all.  The WTO contributed to the rules-based functioning of 
world trade and ensured a fair and transparent tradi ng environment.  In this framework, Montenegro's 
accession was not only an achievement for the country itself or for the multilateral trading system, but 
also for its neighbours in the Balkan region.  Me mbership would further improve the adaptation of 
Montenegro's economy to the world economy and would empower it in the process of shaping the global trading rules.  The reforms conducted for me mbership would boost the confidence of the global 
entrepreneurship.  
55. The representative of India said that his c ountry had been a consistent supporter of 
simplifying accession procedures with a view to st rengthening the WTO as an open, inclusive and 
rules-based organization.  Therefore, it was a matter of great satisfaction to welcome four new Members to the WTO.  India appreciated the positive approach of all parties involved in the accession 
process, which had enabled the successful conclusion of  the negotiations within a span of seven years.  
There was no doubt that Montenegro's membership  of the WTO would enhance market access and 
open several new opportunities for promoting trade to the benefit of Montenegro and its trading partners.  Accession to the WTO would enable Mont enegro to constructively participate in the 
international economy.    
56. The representative of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia said that, as a country in 
the region of south-sast Europe and a member of the regional agreement CEFTA 2006, joining the big 
family of WTO would further accelerate Montenegro's  European integration process.  He expected 
cooperation between Montenegro and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to be more open 
and successful at the regional level and in the WTO. 
57. The representative of Trinidad and Tobago said that  his country believed that the rules-based 
structure of the multilateral trading system shoul d be applied to the accession process and called for 
this process to be more accommodating to the integration of the lesser developed Members.  Adhesion 
to the WTO represented a positive expression of c onfidence in the multilateral trading system, 
notwithstanding the challenges that countries were grappling with in the wider global economy.  Trinidad and Tobago looked forward to working w ith Montenegro in 2012 as the membership sought 
to build a bridge over the current impasse in th e DDA negotiations, and expected to benefit from 
Montenegro's presence in the organization.   
58. The representative of Serbia, speaking as an obser ver, recalled that in February 2005 Serbia 
had started its separate accession process to the WTO on the same day as Montenegro.  Serbia was 
happy that its neighbour would become a WTO Memb er soon after the finalization of the ratification 
procedures.  She expressed deep appreciation to th e Montenegrin team's continuous efforts to end the 
accession process in a timely manner.  Intensive wo rk and strong political commitment gave results.   WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
 Page 13 
 
 
  She was confident that the good bilateral, regi onal and personal relations  between Serbia and 
Montenegro would continue also under the mu ltilateral framework once Serbia became a WTO 
Member.   
59.   The Chairman added that delegations that had not been able to take the floor might wish to 
place their expression of welcome on record by  submitting a statement to the Secretariat.4 
60. The Ministerial Conference took note of the st atements and the expressions of support for the 
accession of Montenegro. 
61. The Chairman then invited Prime Minister Lukši ć to join the Director-General at the signing 
table and invited the Director-General to proceed w ith the ceremony for the signature of the Protocol 
on Accession.   
62. The meeting adjourned at 3.17 p.m.   
_______________ 
 
 
                                                      
4 Such statements are included in Annex II to the present records.  In addition, many expressions of 
welcome were contained in statements made under Agenda Item 1. WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
Page 14  
 
  ANNEX I 
Expressions of welcome by delegations to Samoa 
 
  At the request of the delegations concerned,  the following statements are included below as 
part of the Summary Record of the Eighth Ministerial Conference. 
 
1. Costa Rica 
 
 Costa Rica would like to congratulate Samoa on the successful conclusion of its WTO 
accession negotiations.  This is a fundamental step fo rward we are certain that you will benefit greatly 
from it, and that it will help you to integrate in to the multilateral trading system and the global 
economy.     Samoa's accession to this Organization brings us  even closer to the WTO's goal of becoming 
a universal organization in which all Members, la rge or small, are equally involved in critical 
decisions.     It is our pleasure to welcome Samoa, and we  look forward to working constructively with 
their representatives as from next year to strengthen the multilateral trading system. 
 
2. El Salvador 
 
 On behalf of El Salvador, we should like to  welcome Samoa as a new Member of the World 
Trade Organization.  We believe that the accession of  this country will contribute to the universality 
and strengthening of the Organization.   
 
 We hope that the commitments undertaken by Samoa during its accession process will help enhance trade relations between our countries.  We  look forward to working with Samoa and the other 
Members in order to press ahead with the important and challenging work that lies before us in this 
Organization.  
 It only remains for us to congratulate Samoa once again on all its efforts to ensure the 
successful conclusion of this accession process and to extend to it a warm welcome to the WTO. 
 
_____________ 
  WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
 Page 15 
 
 
   
ANNEX II 
Expressions of welcome by delegations to Montenegro 
 
 
 At the request of the delegations concerned,  the following statements are included below as 
part of the Summary Record of the Eighth Ministerial Conference.  
1. Bulgaria 
 
 Bulgaria warmly welcomes the distinguished delegation of Montenegro at this important 
event – the accession of the country to the WT O and the multilateral trading system.  More 
transparent and predictable environment for trad e and foreign investment along with the reliable 
market access rules are among the main advantages of this system and we believe Montenegro will 
fully benefit from them. 
 
 We are pleased to note that Montenegro  undertook significant commitments under its 
Protocol of Accession on trade liberalization, protection of IP rights, alignment of the licensing requirements with WTO rules, annual reporting to WTO Members on the privatization process, to name a few.  We also note the firm  commitment of the country to jo in the plurilateral agreements on 
IT products and government procurement. 
 
 Throughout the accession process Montenegro remain ed a credible regional trading partner of 
Bulgaria.  Bilateral trade between our countries in  value terms amounted 14.7 million Euros in 2010.  
The increase of exports from Bulgaria in the same  year is 29.3 per cent and the increase of imports 
from Montenegro is higher - 52.2 per cent.  We expect  that the full membership of Montenegro in the 
WTO will contribute positively to maintain and fu rther amplify the trade and investment flows 
between our countries. 
 
2. Costa Rica 
 
 Costa Rica would like to congratulate Monten egro on the great achievement of successfully 
concluding its WTO membership negotiations, which ma rks a significant step towards its integration 
into the multilateral trading system and the world economy.   With the accession of Montenegro, we move ever  closer towards the objective of a universal 
WTO, where all Members, large and small, can ta ke part in important decision-making on equal 
terms. 
  The experience of Costa Rica shows that small countries can reap great rewards by 
participating in the multilateral trading system.  We believe that accession to the WTO will enable 
Montenegro to create new trade flow s, to attract investment and to  generate employment opportunities 
and prosperity for its people.  Costa Rica hopes to work closely with Montenegro in areas of mutual 
interest, as we strive to reach the common goal of a stronger multilateral trading system. 
 
3. El Salvador 
 
 On behalf of El Salvador, we should like to welcome Montenegro as a new Member of the 
World Trade Organization.  We believe that the accession of this country will contribute to the 
universality and strengtheni ng of the Organization. 
  We hope that the commitments undertaken by  Montenegro during its accession process will 
help enhance trade relations between our countries.   We look forward to working with Montenegro WT/MIN(11)/SR/5 
Page 16  
 
  and the other Members in order to press ahead wi th the important and challenging work that lies 
before us in this Organization.   It only remains for us to congratulate Monteneg ro once again on all its efforts to ensure the 
successful conclusion of this accession process and to extend to it a warm welcome to the WTO. 
 
4. Hungary 
 
 Hungary warmly welcomes today's decision on the accession of Montenegro to the WTO, and 
joins other WTO Members in congratulating its ta lented and dedicated ne gotiating team.  Hungary 
views this accession as a note of confidence in the multilateral trading system, and believes that the 
perseverance shown by Montenegro, together with its relentless pursuit of domestic reforms can serve 
as an example to the other acceding countries in the region.  As a candidate country for EU 
membership, Montenegro's devoted sp irit to trade openness and transpar ency is of special significance 
to us and it no doubt marks an important  milestone in its EU integration process. 
 
__________