Accession of Turkmenistan to the World Trade Organization: Technical Working Sessions on the Memorandum of Foreign Trade Regime – Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Trade in Services, and Trade Agreements

On 4-8 March 2024, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat led the technical sessions on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, Trade in Services and Trade Agreements, which form part of the Memorandum of the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR). The completion of the MFTR is crucial to starting Turkmenistan’s WTO accession negotiations. Over 40 participants from the Ministry of Economy and other ministries involved in the WTO accession process attended the sessions supported by the Asian Development Bank under the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program.  

Mr. Artur Andrysiak, Country Director of the ADB Resident Mission in Turkmenistan reiterated ADB’s commitment in supporting Turkmenistan’s endeavors to accede to the WTO. The WTO Secretariat emphasized the importance of completing the MFTR to commence the First Meeting of the Working Party on the Accession of Turkmenistan in 2024. Mr. Ylham Yarashov, Head of the Department of Cooperation with WTO of the Ministry of Finance and Economy (MOFE), acknowledged the good cooperation with the WTO Secretariat and the ADB in the series of activities for Turkmenistan’s accession to the WTO: Technical Working sessions on Policies Affecting Trade in Goods (October, November and December 2023), Technical Working Sessions on Economic Policy, Foreign Trade and Legislative Framework (July 2023), Roundtable and Donor Engagement to Support Turkmenistan’s Accession to the World Trade Organization  (May 2023), Seminar Series for Turkmenistan’s Road to WTO Accession: Introductory Session on the Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (December 2020). Accession to the WTO is a priority under the CAREC Integrated Trade Agenda 2030.

The activity is supported under KSTA 9712: Implementing the Integrated Trade Agenda in the CAREC Program, co-funded by the Regional Cooperation and Integration Fund and the PRC Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund (PRCF).