WTO Welcomes Iran Accession Bid

The World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevedo said that Iran could join WTO, but he had not received any recent communications from Tehran.

GENEVA (Sputnik), Anastasia Levchenko — The World Trade Organization (WTO) is ready to accept Iran as long as all WTO member states support its accession, the organization’s Director-General Roberto Azevedo told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Iran first submitted its membership application to the global trade organization in 1996, but US objections prevent it from joining.

"The WTO is an open forum. Any country that wants to join the WTO is welcome to do that and then we have the negotiations with the other members," Azevedo said, adding he had not received any recent communications from Tehran.

Iran could join the 161-nation trade organization after Tehran agreed with Russia, the United States, France, Britain, China and Germany in July that it would modify its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief, including removing trade restrictions implemented by the United States.