Vietnam officially admitted as a member of WTO

 A senior delegation of Vietnam comprising Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Minister of Trade Truong Dinh Tuyen, Vietnam Ambassador to WTO Ngo Quang Xuan and other officials and members of negotiating team will attend this meeting.

With the witness of representatives of 149 member countries, Ambassador Eirik Glenne, chairman of General Council and Vietnam Working Chair, has summarized the course and result of negotiation with Vietnam.

As usual, Mr. Glenne represents the dossier of Vietnam’s commitment to the General Council. The dossier comprises of the working party’s 260-page report — describing Viet Nam’s legal and institutional set up for trade, along with commitments it has made in many of these areas; Viet Nam’s commitments on goods — the 560-page list (or “schedule”) of tariffs, quotas and ceilings on agricultural subsidies, and in some cases the timetable for phasing in the cuts; Viet Nam’s commitments on services, the 60-page document (also a “schedule”) describing in which services it is giving access to foreign service providers and any additional conditions, including limits on foreign ownership; the working party’s 260-page report — describing Viet Nam’s legal and institutional set up for trade, along with commitments it has made in many of these areas and the draft protocol on Vietnam’s accession drafted by the secretariat of WTO. Then, the chairman of Working Party will get the approval of all members by the meaning of raising hand.

After the meeting, Trade Minister Truong Dinh Tuyen and Director General will sign the protocol.

Then, the deal will be submitted to Vietnam National Assembly for approving at its 10th Plenary. Vietnam will become a member 30 days after it has informed the WTO that it has ratified.

At 8 p.m of November 8, Vietnam Television Station will hold a live program entitled “integration night”. The program will have the participation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affair Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Trade Minster Truong Dinh Tuyen and members of negotiating team who are on their duty in Geneva; Former Deputy Minister Vu Khoan; economic experts and over 800 Vietnamese entrepreneurs and foreign investors. The content of this program is about course of Vietnam’s accession to WTO; preparation of Vietnam government and enterprises;  

Tracing Vietnam's 12-year path to WTO membership

The 14th round of multilateral talks on Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organization concluded on October 26, ending a tortuous 12-year negotiation process to join the trade body.

Following are the main landmarks in the process:

    - In June 1994 Vietnam submitted its application for membership to the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the WTO’s precursor, and was accepted as an observer.

    - In January 1995, after its establishment, the WTO officially accepted Vietnam's application to join the organization. Since July 1998 negotiations for Vietnam's accession were held by a Working Party at the WTO headquarters in Geneva.

    - During the first four rounds of talks (July 1998, December 1998, July 1999, and November-December 2000) Vietnam focused on answering questions raised by the Working Party's members regarding its trade and economic policies.

    - Vietnam was acknowledged as having basically clarified its policies at the end of the fourth round, paving the way for negotiations on market opening.

    - The fifth round was held in April 2002 to review the status of Vietnam's bilateral negotiations and its action plans to implement some WTO agreements.

    - The sixth round was held in May 2003 in parallel with bilateral negotiations on Vietnam's accession to the WTO.

    - At the 7th round in December 2003 the two parties discussed "elements of the draft of the report on Vietnam's accession to the WTO".

    - The 8th round was held in June 2004.

    - At the 9th round of negotiations in December 2004 the draft report of the Working Party on Vietnam's WTO accession was discussed for the first time. Discussions focused on the country’s legal system, adjustment of economic and commercial activities to dovetail with WTO requirements, subsidy policies, animal and plant quarantine, food safety and hygiene, and protection of intellectual property.

    - The 10th round held in September 2005 focused on the completion of the report on Vietnam's WTO accession. Vietnam committed to implementing a series of agreements immediately upon admission.

    - The 11th round of negotiations in September 2005 focused on three major areas: progress in bilateral negotiations on opening the goods and services market; the first revised version of the draft report of the Working Party; and appraisal of Vietnam's law-building program.

    - At the 12th round in March 2006 the two sides focused on four major areas: the process of Vietnam's bilateral negotiations; the country's law-building program; the draft report of the Working Party; and its working plan in the future.

    - The 13th round held in July focused on three major issues: reviewing the whole process of Vietnam's bilateral negotiations; adding Vietnam's bilateral commitments to the final commitment package; and progress in the law-building program. Vietnam was expected to complete the report of the Working Party and a plan for its WTO accession soon.

    - At the 14th round of multilateral negotiations in October WTO members discussed Vietnam's WTO accession.

Source: VNA

(Translated by THKC)