Kazakhstan to resume WTO accession talks in Geneva.

WASHINGTON, May 4 (Itar-Tass) - The United States and the Republic of
Kazakhstan (RK) have reaffirmed their mutual striving to complete
bilateral talks on the World Trade Organization (WTO) on a mutually
beneficial basis as soon as possible, Zhanbolat Usenov, press secretary at
the Embassy of the RK, told Itar-Tass here on Monday at the close of
bilateral consultations here about Kazakhstan's accession to the WTO.
The Kazakhstani delegation at the talks was headed by Timur
Suleimenov, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade. The talks
were held in the office of the US Trade Representative.
Usenov said, "This visit has been viewed by the American side as one
serving a practical implementation of the accords reached during the April
11 meeting between Kazakhstani President Nursultan Nazarbayev and US
President Barack Obama. The leaders of the two countries agreed to
redouble efforts towards completing the process of negotiations on
Kazakhstan's accession to the WTO. During the consultations the sides
examined a number of matters, including trade in farm products,
commodities containing cryptographic protection of information, and the
operation of state-controlled enterprises".
"On the whole, the American side pointed out positively the RK
approach to the formation of a legislative basis for regulation of gene
engineering activities in the country, specifically the conformity of
such basis to the main provisions of the WTO," Usenov pointed out.
The sides have practically completed the coordination of specimens of
veterinary certificates for the export of American products to Kazakhstan.
The certificates will be based on international standards.
During the consultations the sides considered matters concerning the
entry and temporary stay of foreign natural persons in Kazakhstan's
territory and access to the markets of financial, telecommuncation, and
distribution services.
In a separate discussion, the sides examined matters connected with
the adoption of a new trade-and-economic regime within the framework of
the Customs Union (CU) among Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus, and its
influence on the process of negotiations on the RK accession to the WTO.
According to the RK Embassy official, the American side was provided
with detailed information on the main phases of the formation of the CU,
specifically the abolition of the customs boundaries among the three
countries and common customs-tariff and non-tariff regulation, as well as
maintenance by Astana of the regime of investment preferences.
Following the consultations, the RK delegation members have gathered
the impression that "the American side came to understand better the main
mechanisms for the regulation of the foreign trade of the CU, specifically
common rates of duties, a common regime of import and export licensing,
and procedures connected with the customs formalities in the movement of
commodities".
Talks on matters that are within the competence of the CU, the
diplomat said, will be held on terms that are coordinated to the maximum
among the CU member-countries.
"The consultations have confirmed the desire of both sides to complete
bilateral talks on a mutually beneficial basis at an earliest date.
Moreover, Kazakhstan intends to resume multilateral meetings in Geneva on
accession to the WTO, within the framework of which the conformity of the
Kazakhstan trade and economic regime to the WTO principles is examined,"
Usenov emphasized.
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