YEMEN, WTO TO HOLD NEW TALKS IN GENEVA SOON

SANA'A, Jan. 22 (Saba)- The Republic of Yemen and World Trade Organization (WTO) will hold the 7th talks session on Yemen accession into the Organization in Geneva during 25-27 June.

In a statement to Saba, Chairman of the Communication and Coordination with WTO at the Ministry of Industry and Trade Hamoud al-Najaar said that this talks round has a big importance as Yemen has made a remarkable progress in the accession by signing a bilateral agreement with Australia in October 2009 to join the WTO following years-long negotiations.

He noted that this round will be headed, for the Yemeni side, by Minister of Industry and Trade Yahya al-Mutawakil and will hand over all documents answering questions presented by the Organization members to the WTO General Secretariat.

"The answers Yemen will present are the grounds on which meetings of work team meetings are based for Yemen to access the WTO and this is what is conducted with each country seeking accession into to the Organization," al-Najaar said.

He noted that Yemen committed, through the answers, to the WTO rules and accession requirement in accordance with demands of the Organization members in a way that does not contradict with economic and development potentials of Yemen and in line with the special and preference treatment stated in the Organization agreements.

Al-Najaar expressed aspiration of Yemen to achieve greater progress in the coming round, particularly that members of the work team has agreed to move to drafting the team report, wishing the round be an additional step in Yemen accession into the WTO in 2010 directly reflecting investment attraction in Yemen.

AM/AM