Sunday December 20, 2015
Kabul (BNA) Afghanistan is the 164th countries of the world that is set to obtain the full membership of World Trade Organization (WTO) in a ministerial conference which has held in Nairobi capital city of Kenya.
According to Eng. Mohammad Khan, Chief Executive’s first deputy who had participated in the aforesaid conference said that this is an historical time and membership in WTO is one of the strategic purposes of us for reaching peace and economic stability in the country.
The government of Afghanistan in November 2004 had applied for the full membership in WTO that fortunately obtained it this year. The Office of WTO is located in Genoa of Swiss which has 163 main members and 30 warden members. This organization works for improving open commerce and encouraging of member countries for eliminating commercial obstacles as well the organization is monitoring the international trade rules and solve the commercial conflicts among the governments as well as organizes commercial debates. At present the officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industries expressed their hopes that by obtaining of WTO membership the problems of trade and transit which we have with some neighboring countries would be solved. Afghanistan’s most businesses are with Pakistan and joining of the country to WTO will reduce the Pakistan excuse for establishing of obstacles before the Afghan traders.
Based on the regulation of the WTO, a member country could deliver their goods via member countries to international markets without any difficulties and obstacle. Afghanistan should consider the standards of the member countries; by having specific rules in different sectors, professional cadres for promotion of commercial plans as well as well-prepared of customs is one of the main conditions of this organization.
Pakistan, India, China, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries are among the key shareholders in trading are the members of the WTO. Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan are also making efforts to obtain the membership of this organization.
Most of the members of this organization are developing and least developed countries, where after obtaining membership of WTO, they witnessed of high figure of investments and exports. WTO director general, Roberto Azevedo has welcomed joining of Afghanistan to this organization. Lailuma Noori
