Breaking News US & UKRAINE CONCLUDE BILATERAL WTO ACCESSION AGREEMENT ON MARKET ACCESS, FORMAL SIGNING MARCH 6

BREAKING NEWS ALERT

THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT (AUR)

Washington, D.C., Wednesday, March 1, 2006

US & UKRAINE CONCLUDE BILATERAL WTO ACCESSION AGREEMENT ON MARKET ACCESS, FORMAL SIGNING MARCH 6

Trade Minister Yatsenyuk and U.S. Trade Rep Rob Portman

Office of the United States Trade Representative (STR)
Executive Office of the President

Washington, D.C., Wednesday, March 1, 2006

NEW DELHI – The United States and Ukraine have concluded bilateral
negotiations on market access issues related to Ukraine’s World Trade
Organization (WTO) accession. Trade Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk will
join U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman in Washington on March 6,
2006 to formally sign the agreement.

“This agreement marks a milestone for both countries in our bilateral
trade relations. It confirms Ukraine’s commitment to broad-based

reform and economic liberalization. It also demonstrates Ukraine’s

resolve to join the international trading system,” said U.S. Trade

Representative Rob Portman.

“As a result of these negotiations, we can expect greater bilateral

cooperation on economic issues, and a strong boost to Ukraine’s

efforts to complete the accession negotiations.”

BACKGROUND

Over the course of the negotiations, the Administration has consulted
closely with the Congress about America’s concerns and interests, most
particularly Members and Staff of the House Ways and Means Committee,
the Senate Finance Committee and the House and Senate Agriculture
Committees. Congressional action is necessary to grant Permanent Normal
Trade Relations (PNTR) to Ukraine. This will clear the way for the two
countries to apply the WTO Agreement between them when Ukraine
becomes a WTO member.

Ukraine has been negotiating its terms of accession to the General
Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT), and then to the WTO, since
1994.Ukraine is still negotiating bilateral market access agreements with
eight other countries. To complete its accession bid, Ukraine must
complete those bilateral market access negotiations and also the
multilateral negotiations on a Working Party Report and Protocol of
Accession. Ukraine is also still in the process of enacting
legislation that will enable it to apply WTO provisions after its
accession.

The United States is continuing to work with other accession

candidates, including Russia and Vietnam, and hopes to conclude

these bilateral agreements in the near future. -30-
—————————————————————————————–
Scott R. Elmore, Public Affairs Assistant
Office of the United States Trade Representative
Executive Office of the President
600 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20508
P: (202) 395-3230; F: (202) 395-6121
http://www.ustr.gov/

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E. Morgan Williams, Director, Government Affairs,
Washington Office, SigmaBleyzer,
Emerging Markets Private Equity Investment Group;
Chairman, Executive Committee, Board of Directors
Ukraine-U.S. Business Council, Washington;
Publisher and Editor, The Action Ukraine Report;
P. O. Box 2607, Washington, D.C. 20013
Telephone: 202 437 4707
E-mail: MWilliams@SigmaBleyzer.com
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