KIEV, March 2 (RIA Novosti, Olga Bernatskaya) - The prime minister of Ukraine said Thursday that his country might join the World Trade Organization this year.
"The agreement between Ukraine and the United States to sign a protocol on the mutual access to markets of goods and services enables Ukraine to seek admission to the WTO this year," Yuriy Yekhanurov said.
He said Ukraine's Economics Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk would leave for Washington Friday to sign the protocol.
"This is another reason for signing a document on Ukraine's accession to the WTO," Yekhanurov said.
On Wednesday Ukraine completed bilateral negotiations with the United States on its accession to the World Trade Organization, including regarding access to its markets. The protocol will be signed on March 6 by Yatsenyuk and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Portman.
In mid-February, Ukraine overcame the last obstacle on the way to the WTO when the U.S. granted it the status of a market economy. The European Union declared Ukraine a free market economy at the end of 2005.
