On December 2-3, an online seminar organized by the OSCE Center in Ashgabat was held on the topic of improving Turkmen legislation in accordance with the requirements of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the organization's website says .

The event was attended by representatives of the Mejlis (lower house) of parliament, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Trade and Foreign Economic Relations, Finance and Economy, Agriculture and Environmental Protection, as well as the State Customs Service and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Two international experts from Georgia presented priorities for promoting international trade and reviewed WTO requirements. They discussed the elimination of technical barriers to trade, tariff policy on agriculture and food, determination of the customs value of goods, cotton trade and domestic support, border measures to protect intellectual property rights, as well as WTO agreements on trade facilitation and sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

The head of the OSCE Center in Ashgabat, John McGregor, noted that over the past five years, the OSCE has intensified its activities in the field of trade facilitation and promoting the principles of uninterrupted and safe transport and transit.

On November 25, Turkmenistan applied to join the WTO. In July 2020, the country received observer status in the organization.

In September 2020, the OSCE held a seminar on “WTO Membership as a Balance of Rights and Obligations”. Its purpose was to help further improve the national trade policy.

Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan