Ashgabat discussed industrial and trade policy issues in the context of accession to the WTO
A seminar dedicated to issues of national industrial and trade policy in connection with Turkmenistan's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) was held at the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat on 26-27 February. The event was organized by the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan in cooperation with the OSCE Centre. The seminar brought together representatives of government agencies to discuss state support for industry and trade in the context of accession to the WTO.
The key expert of the seminar was Deputy Director General of the WTO Expertise Centre in Russia Anait Smbatyan. In her speech, she spoke about the basic principles of state support for industry and trade within the framework of WTO rules. The expert explained in detail the relevant articles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT 1994) and the WTO Agreement on Agriculture.
Anait Smbatyan stressed that compliance with international standards is an important condition for integrating the national economy into world trade. A country joining the WTO needs to reconsider its subsidy policy, taking into account its own economic interests.
Trade is not an end in itself, but a tool for economic growth and improving people's well-being," the expert noted. "The conditions for joining the WTO should provide opportunities for further development of the national economy, including new growth areas."
Among the main topics of the seminar was subsidizing industry and agriculture as an important tool of state support for the economy. Participants discussed the role of subsidies in the context of WTO rules and how to properly use this mechanism to protect domestic producers from international competition, which is especially relevant for developing countries.
The seminar reviewed existing forms of subsidies and WTO rules governing agricultural support. Of particular interest were examples from the practice of resolving disputes between WTO member countries. Participants discussed lessons that can be learned from this experience for future work.
The seminar became an important platform for exchanging experiences and discussing current issues of integrating national economies into the global trading system, taking into account the principles of sustainable development and international standards. Participants noted that such events contribute to a better understanding of WTO rules and their impact on the country's economic development in the process of joining the organization.
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