2024 News items – Members welcome Iraqs return to WTO accession talks after 16 years – WTO Latest News
Mr. Atheer Dawood Salman Al Ghrairi, Iraq's Minister of Trade, led a high-level delegation from Baghdad at the third meeting of the Working Party. Ambassador Saqr Almoqbel of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who chaired the Working Party for the first time since his appointment last year, welcomed Iraq's return to Geneva after many years, highlighting the significance of the formal resumption of Iraq's accession process. The Minister's presence here, the first since 2008, sends a clear signal that Iraq's accession process is now back on track, he remarked. The Working Party held its second meeting in April 2008 and an informal meeting in November 2017.
The Chair acknowledged the tremendous efforts by everyone, of course, starting with Iraq, but also members and partners, as well as former Chair Ambassador Omar Hilale of Morocco, to make today's meeting a reality. He also referred to his visit to Baghdad in January 2024, where he met with senior Iraqi government officials, including President Abdul Latif Rashid.
Minister Al Ghrairi noted the importance of the meeting, which represents a distinctive step for the Government and the people of Iraq towards becoming a full-fledged member of the WTO, a target we seek to achieve as a means to enhance our national economic strategy and integration in the global economy. He further stated that despite ongoing security, political, and regional challenges, the Government of Iraq remains steadfast in its commitment to pursue a reform agenda in terms of enhancing trade policies, boosting the business environment, and creating favourable conditions for foreign investment.
Minister Al Ghrairi highlighted the special importance attached by the Government to aligning its trade policies and regulatory frameworks with international rules and standards and strengthening institutional capacities to meet WTO requirements. The National Committee on Iraq's Accession has intensified efforts and made substantial progress in fulfilling the accession requirements, he said. Ahead of the third Working Party meeting, Iraq submitted key negotiating documents, including its initial market access offers on goods and services.
WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang stressed the significance of this meeting not only for Iraq but also for the Arab region, which still has a large number of accessions under way. As the largest region outside the multilateral trading system, this moment signifies a renewed opportunity for progress and collaboration towards accession for Iraq and hopefully other Arab nations aspiring to join the WTO, enhancing regional and global trade dynamics. He also emphasized the importance of technical assistance and capacity building in the region, especially for Iraq in view of its status as a post-conflict country.
Members highlighted the significance of Iraq's accession for the multilateral trading system. Many Arab members emphasized that Iraq's accession would contribute to regional integration efforts in support of peace and security. Other participants in the meeting included observer governments and international organizations.
Iraq provided an update on its initial contacts with members regarding bilateral market access negotiations, noting that initial offers on goods and services were submitted in early May. The Iraqi delegation expressed readiness to further engage with WTO members.
The Working Party discussed various aspects of Iraq's foreign trade regime based on its revised Memorandum of the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) and other supporting documentation. Iraq provided a report on legislative developments, highlighting its latest efforts to conform with WTO-related rules.
The Chair invited Iraq and WTO members to intensify bilateral negotiations on market access, building on the recent contacts.
The Chair invited members to submit specific questions in writing by 15 August. He also asked Iraq to provide replies to members' questions and to submit other requested accession documents. The Chair asked the WTO Secretariat to work with Iraq to revise its MFTR, which will serve as the basis for continuing the examination of Iraq's foreign trade regime at the next meeting of the Working Party.
In addition, the Chair asked Iraq to revise its Legislative Action Plan and submit copies of WTO-related legislation to provide an up-to-date picture of ongoing reforms.
The importance of technical assistance was emphasized, with several members and international organizations offering support. The Secretariat plans to organize a Round Table to discuss Iraq's technical assistance needs to further facilitate its accession process.
The Chair suggested that the fourth Working Party meeting could be scheduled for the first quarter of 2025, contingent on the progress of the outlined steps.
Read more from the original source:
2024 News items - Members welcome Iraqs return to WTO accession talks after 16 years - WTO Latest News
- What JD Vance did in Iraq, as told by the friend who served with him - The Independent - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Iraq Wheat Production Up 21%, Official Says, Amid Ample Rainfall - Bloomberg - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Five people killed in drone strike on vehicle in Syria-Iraq border - The Jerusalem Post - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Five arrested over attack that wounded US troops in Iraq air base, statement says - Voice of America - VOA News - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Five arrested over Iraq airbase attack that wounded US troops, Iraq officials say - Reuters - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- What to Make of Recent Attacks on Coalition Bases in Iraq and Syria? - The Washington Institute - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- US troops injured in attack in Iraq as tensions in region increase - POLITICO - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Houthi drone expert among those killed in U.S. strike in Iraq - The Washington Post - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Seven US personnel injured in Monday rocket attack at Al Asad airbase in Iraq, including two evacuated for further care - CNN - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Vance Attacks Walzs Military Record, Accusing Him of Avoiding a Tour in Iraq - The New York Times - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- US personnel injured in attack on Al Asad airbase in Iraq - BBC.com - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Iraq-Born Austrian Auteur Kurdwin Ayub Keeps It Provocative With Moon: I Want to Trigger People - Hollywood Reporter - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Turkey says it killed 12 Kurdish militants in northern Iraq - Reuters - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- US Troops Injured in Attack on Air Base in Iraq as White House Warns of Possible Response - Air & Space Forces Magazine - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Oregon National Guard sends off 230 soldiers to Iraq and Syria - KGW.com - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Suspected rocket attack hits US Ain al-Asad base in Iraq - NewsNation Now - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- 5 arrested for rocket attack on base in Iraq that injured 4 service members, 1 contractor - Stars and Stripes - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Five pro-Iran fighters said killed in drone strike near Syria-Iraq border - The Times of Israel - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Tim Walzs military record under fire amid accusations he ducked the Iraq war - The Telegraph - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Several US troops injured in missile attack on base in Iraq - The Times of Israel - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- US base in Iraq hit amid rising Mideast tensions - The Week - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Tim Walz left National Guard battalion 'hanging,' 'slithered out the door' before Iraq deployment: vets - New York Post - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- US Forces Attacked in Iraq: What We Know - Newsweek - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Iraq plans to lower the marriage age for girls to nine: Here're the other proposed controversial changes - The Economic Times - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Tracking Anti-U.S. and Anti-Israel Strikes From Iraq and Syria During the Gaza Crisis - The Washington Institute - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- In Iraq's summer, residents of Kurdistan's Arbil ache for water - The Paulding County Progress - August 11th, 2024 [August 11th, 2024]
- Is Houthi expansion in Iraq a genuine threat or smoke screen? - Al-Monitor - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- The Yezidi genocide devastated Iraqs community 10 years ago but the roots of the prejudice that fueled it were much deeper - The Conversation... - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- Lessons for postwar Gaza from Iraq and Afghanistan - JNS.org - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- UNODC participates in the 2nd Baghdad International Conference on Countering Narcotics and presents the report Drug Trafficking Dynamics across Iraq... - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- After 20 years, is Iraq making progress in bid to join WTO? - Al-Monitor - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- J.D. Vance Criticizes Bidens Support for Iraq War in 2003 But Pushes Hawkish Policy on China & Iran - Democracy Now! - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- Why the Pentagon Is Warning That ISIS Attacks Could Double This Year - The New York Times - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- APTOPIX Iraq Moon - The Daily Reflector - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- Iraq Moon - The Daily Reflector - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- Iraq to offer 100 investment opportunities - Iraqi News - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- ISIS attacks in Iraq and Syria up dramatically from 2023 - Task & Purpose - July 22nd, 2024 [July 22nd, 2024]
- Iraq's Sovereignty Is in Jeopardy. Why Is Nobody Speaking Up? | Opinion - Newsweek - July 6th, 2024 [July 6th, 2024]
- Iraq Is Surging The Tourism Industry With New Visa Free Entry Policy For 8 Countries Including UAE, Qatar And Bahrain - Travel And Tour World - July 6th, 2024 [July 6th, 2024]
- OPEC crude oil production remains steady as Iraq, UAE pump above quota - WorldOil - July 6th, 2024 [July 6th, 2024]
- Army vet receives Bronze Star with valor 20 years later for bravery in Iraq ambush - Task & Purpose - July 6th, 2024 [July 6th, 2024]
- Iran's war of attrition against Israel and the US - The Jerusalem Post - July 6th, 2024 [July 6th, 2024]
- Turkey brings Al Nusra and other jihadists to Northern Iraq to fight against PKK - Medya News - July 6th, 2024 [July 6th, 2024]
- Iraq Iran Election | World | reflector.com - The Daily Reflector - July 6th, 2024 [July 6th, 2024]
- Iraq Humanitarian Transition Overview 2024 (June 2024) - Iraq - ReliefWeb - June 30th, 2024 [June 30th, 2024]
- Hamas Considering Relocation From Qatar To Iraq - Report - I24NEWS - i24NEWS - June 30th, 2024 [June 30th, 2024]
- A leading human rights group calls on Iraq to halt deportations of Syrian refugees - ABC News - June 30th, 2024 [June 30th, 2024]
- Is Hamas planning to move to Iraq due to pressure from Qatar? - The Jerusalem Post - June 30th, 2024 [June 30th, 2024]
- Ten Years Ago, ISIS Seized Power and Territory. What's Happened Since? - PBS - June 30th, 2024 [June 30th, 2024]
- How Wikileaks changed the internet, from Clintons emails to the Iraq war - The Washington Post - June 30th, 2024 [June 30th, 2024]
- IDF trains for war in the north as Iranian proxies threaten attacks from Iraq and Yemen | FDD's Long War Journal - Long War Journal - June 30th, 2024 [June 30th, 2024]
- Five IS bombs found hidden in iconic Iraq mosque: UN agency - The Caledonian-Record - June 30th, 2024 [June 30th, 2024]
- The Met, Amid an Audit of its Holdings, Returns an Ancient Statue to Iraq - The New York Times - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Footage shows Iranian Shahed 136 drone flying over Iraq en route to Israel - The Times of Israel - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Kataib Hezbollah is Part of Iraq's PMF - The Washington Institute - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq Needs a New Kind of Partnership With the United States - Foreign Affairs Magazine - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq denies any drones or missiles were launched from its territory during Iran attack - The Times of Israel - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq postpones vote on bill including death penalty for same-sex acts - The Times of Israel - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Stroudsburg man sentenced to 70 years for torturing employee in Iraq - 69News WFMZ-TV - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq's struggle, divided between the US and Iran - The Jerusalem Post - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Who are Iran's proxies threatening Israel? - The Jerusalem Post - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Wreckage of Iranian missiles and drones bound for Israel found in Iraq - The National - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraqi PM tells US President that Iraq is shifting from a military alliance to economic ties with the US - Iraqi News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon reopen airspace after Iran attacks - Deccan Herald - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Prime Minister Sudani's Pivotal US Visit and Its Implications for Iraq's Future - Wilson Center - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq to enhance air fleet with $140m US aircraft support deal - Airforce Technology - Airforce Technology - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Investigating Torture: FBI-HSI Investigation Leads to U.S. Citizen's Conviction for Human Rights Violations in Iraq FBI - Federal Bureau of... - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq's "Resistance" Factions Shift to Major Crackdown on Media Spaces - The Washington Institute - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Couple Travels to Iraq After Vowing to Visit All 195 Countries Their Experience Goes Viral (Exclusive) - Yahoo Entertainment - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- A careful rethinking of the Iraq War - MIT News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq War veteran struggles to access VA care in rural area - DAV - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Couple Travels to Iraq After Vowing to Visit All 195 Countries Their Experience Goes Viral (Exclusive) - PEOPLE - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq's Twenty Years of Carnage | Joshua Hammer - The New York Review of Books - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Thousands of Ugandans may sue over U.S. security work in Iraq, Afghanistan - Semafor - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Book Review: The Achilles Trap, by Steve Coll - The New York Times - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- FEMA employees brought government devices abroad without authorization, including to China and Iraq, document ... - FedScoop - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Steve Coll discusses collaboration with RCFP attorneys for new book, "The Achilles Trap" - Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- The National Guard's quiet role in Iraq, Syria and Jordan - Yahoo! Voices - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq to close all IDP camps by July 30 - Mission Network News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Opinion: American airstrikes in Iraq, Syria, Yemen solidify a concerning reality - UT Daily Beacon - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]