Iraq completes the initial offer of goods and services in the WTO accession files
The fourth – Baghdad
Trade Minister Atheer Daoud Salman Al-Ghurairi announced today, Wednesday, the completion of the completion of the two initial offers of goods and services and their official submission to the WTO Secretariat through official channels.
In a statement received by (Fourth), the Minister stressed that “this important step comes in the context of the efforts of the Iraqi government and its program to promote international trade and achieve sustainable development, which reflects its commitment to ensuring global economic integration and expand economic partnerships.”
He added that “the National Committee, the technical committees emanating from it and the accession team in the ministry were able within a short period of time to complete those files and submit them to the organization in preparation for the holding of the third meeting of the working group for Iraq during the current year, 16 years after the date of the second meeting of the team in 2008.”
Al-Ghurairi pointed to “the welcome of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the international community to Iraq’s return to the negotiating table, especially as it is one of the important Arab economies that are still outside the organization, as it described this progress in terms of the accession file as one of the most active files among Arab countries and observers.”
He pointed out that “the initial offer file of the goods and services that were provided included a wide range of products and services that reflect the diversity and competitiveness of the Iraqi economy and negotiate them.”
He explained that “work is underway to prepare the Iraqi negotiating team and build the negotiating capacity of the team for the purpose of initiating the negotiation rounds with the member states of the organization in order for Iraq to obtain membership in the organization.”
He added, “The Department of Foreign Economic Relations, through the official channels of dealing with the organization, is working to complete all the requirements for accession in order for Iraq to obtain membership in the organization and to enhance Iraq’s integration into the multilateral trading system.”
It is worth mentioning that the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued the annual report on the accession of the observer countries and praised the efforts led by the Ministry of Commerce through its terracation to the National Committee, which considered the activation of the process of Iraq’s accession to the organization an important step for the organization, which was welcomed and praised by the member states, and that Iraq is the only Arab country whose accession process has become active and has made advanced stages among the Arab countries that hold observer member status.