Opportunities for enhancing comprehensive cooperation with the WTO were discussed on Monday at a meeting between Vice-Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Deputy Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Zhang Xianchen, who arrived in Ashgabat on a working visit.  This is reported by the website of the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan.

 R. Meredov informed the guest about the preparatory work being carried out in our country for joining the WTO, which includes improving the national legislative framework, foreign trade procedures and rules, as well as conducting explanatory work among the population and business circles through the media.

 As noted during the meeting, in recent years, relations between Turkmenistan and the WTO have noticeably intensified.  In February this year, during the meeting of the WTO General Council, the Turkmen side officially applied for membership in the organization in accordance with Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement.  Based on the results of consideration, the member countries of the WTO General Council unanimously approved the application of Turkmenistan and decided to grant it the status of an «acceding country».

 R. Meredov also said that the growing trends of economic globalization in the world, especially after the pandemic situation, set the task for Turkmenistan to more intensively integrate into the system of international trade and economic relations.  One of the effective ways to achieve these goals is to build up comprehensive cooperation with the WTO.