Translated material
Where is Tonga, there it is torn
Tiny island state ahead of Russia and Ukraine on path to WTO
Saudi Arabia and the small island nation of Tonga celebrated their accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) yesterday. Formally, the ceremony looked very modest. At a special meeting dedicated to the acceding countries, WTO head Pascal Lamy announced this decision, and the prime ministers of the countries made their first ceremonial speech in their new capacity. No flowers, no champagne, only everyone who wished to speak at the meeting began their speech with a brief congratulation.However, in my soul, the feeling of joy was probably mixed with a feeling of anxiety. Saudi Arabia, for example, decided to dramatically open its markets in order to join. And what is especially important for Russia, it has pledged to abandon double pricing for energy resources. The US recently proposed that Saudi Arabia's terms become standard for all new members.
Russia, as well as Ukraine, had to be content with assurances that all WTO members were interested in their speedy accession. US Trade Representative Rob Portman said that Washington favors the early entry of these states, as the organization “needs new blood.”
At a special meeting dedicated to the acceding countries, all speakers noted our great achievements in the negotiation process. All the more unexpected was the speech of the Minister of Economic Development of Georgia, Irakli Chogovadze, who stated from the podium that Moscow was not fulfilling the terms of the protocol on the completion of negotiations, signed in Tbilisi in May 2004. Following the meeting, he told Russian journalists that we were talking about two illegal customs checkpoints in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “This is not a political, but purely an economic issue,” said Mr. Chogovadze, “excise-free cigarettes are imported through them and smuggling occurs.” Georgia, he noted, clearly supports Russia's accession to the WTO, but until this issue is resolved, Tbilisi will not sign the protocol on the completion of multilateral negotiations with Russia. At the same time, the Georgian minister emphasized that this is not about closing these points, but exclusively about their legalization.
The Russian delegation admits that such a problem partially exists. “The government intends to fulfill all the agreements,” a source in the delegation told Vremya Novostei, “however, the process is being hampered by technical difficulties with the agreement.”
However, it is not yet clear how this problem can be solved. The legalization of the customs point means that Georgian border guards will work at the border. It is not yet clear how Tbilisi intends to achieve this on the territory of its unrecognized republics, where the territorial integrity of Georgia exists only on paper.
But Ukraine did not make harsh statements. Minister of Economy of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, speaking at the meeting, limited himself to the remark that the negotiation process is slow, despite Kyiv’s flexibility in negotiations and liberalization of legislation.
Today, without waiting for the end of the conference, the Ukrainian delegation is heading home. The last hopes not only for joining, but at least for completing negotiations with the United States have been exhausted. And in an interview with Vremya Novostey, the Ukrainian minister even stated that President Viktor Yushchenko did not set such a task as mandatory accession this or next year. Moreover, a few hours earlier, Rob Portman said that he did not rule out joint admission of Russia and Ukraine to the WTO. And if Kyiv fails to join the WTO before Russia, then there is no need to rush. “I don’t want to put my signature on a document that will be shown to me in five years with the words: it’s your fault that this industry has died in our country,” Mr. Yatsenyuk said.