Ukraine Knocking On The WTO's Door.

Last night Ukraine concluded bilateral negotiations with Australia on mutual access to goods and services, thus securing Australia’s support for Ukraine’s bid to join the World Trade Organization. Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov said that he was pleased with terms agreed on at the negotiations. Ukraine still has to reach agreements with Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan. Concorde Capital:  Australia was the last major external obstacle to Ukraine’s WTO bid and the current government has said that talks with Kyrgyzstan and Taiwan are near completion. Our sources have suggested that Ukraine is shooting to have the new government formed and the bulk WTO ascension worked out in time for a visit by US President George Bush just before the opening of the G-8 summit in mid-July. However, despite the winding down of Ukraine’s bilateral negotiations, how fast the new government is able to put Ukraine’s legislation in line with WTO standards will depend on the formation of the Rada coalition. It is important to remember that it was Yushchenko and Tymoshenko’s allies, the Socialists that were the main force that stalled WTO legislation before Tymoshenko’s dismissal at the end of last summer.