RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/L/40
15February 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-0312)
Original: English
ACCESSION OFBELARUS
Communication from Belarus
Thefollowing communication, dated 30January 1995, hasbeenreceived fromthePermanent
Mission ofBelarus.
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TheGovernment oftheRepublic ofBelarus hereby expresses itsintention toaccede tothe
World Trade Organization asitsfull-fledged member inaccordance withArticle XIIoftheAgreement
establishing theWorld Trade Organization.
Accordingly, theGovernment oftheRepublic ofBelarus would liketheexisting Working Party
ontheaccessionoftheRepublicofBelarustotheWorldTradeOrganizationtobeempoweredtoexamine
therelevant areas which needtobeconsidered inconnection withBelarus 'saccession totheWorld
Trade Organization.
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Having regard tothedecision adopted bytheGeneral Council on31January 1995, theWorking
Party ontheAccession ofBelarus totheGATT 1947 hasbeentransformed intoaWTO Accession
Working Party andtheGovernment ofBelarus willhaveobserver status intheGeneral Council and
itssubsidiary bodies. Thename oftheChairman andtheterms ofreference oftheWorking Party
arereproduced onthefollowing page.
./.WT/L/40
Page2
WORKING PARTY ONTHE ACCESSION OFBELARUS
Chairman: H.E. Mr.C.Manhusen (Sweden)
Membership:
Themembership isopentoallMembers indicating theirwishtoserve ontheWorking Party.
Terms ofReference:
Toexamine theapplication oftheGovernment ofBelarus toaccede totheWorld Trade
Organization under Article XII,andtosubmit totheGeneral Council recommendations which may
include adraftProtocol ofAccession.