DUSHANBE, June 28, 2013, Asia-Plus -- The International Trade Center (ITC) has gathered Tajik agrarian sector stakeholders in Dushanbe for a learning program to discuss the ways of benefiting from Tajikistan’s accession to WTO, and solving the challenges from this membership.

According to press release issued by ITC, representatives of the related governmental agencies, business associations, international organizations, as well as agrarian sector experts came together on June 28 to learn about the WTO rules and regulations applicable to Tajikistan commitments on agricultural goods and to discuss the ways of benefiting from Tajikistan’s accession to WTO, and solving the challenges from this membership.

“Making the Most of WTO Accession: Agrarian Sector Commitments and Liberalization” training is organized under the ITC project, Implementation of WTO Provisions and Business Awareness of WTO Accession, which is funded by the Government of Switzerland through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

Mrs. Eugenia Costanza Laurenza, ITC international consultant, reportedly introduced the key principles and obligation stemming from the WTO and the Agreement on Agriculture.  She also presented the three main pillars of WTO rules concerning trade in agriculture, which are tariffs liberalization, export subsidies and domestic supports.

During the event, a special attention was given to agricultural tariff reduction and subsidies negotiated and committed by Tajikistan.  Mr. Saidrahmon Nazriyev, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan, and Mr. Mizrobkhon Dehqonov, Responsible for Agriculture Reforms, WTO and Food Security from the Ministry of Agriculture of Tajikistan reportedly informed the participants on that.

The International Trade Center (ITC), through its on-going technical assistance project, is committed to support Tajikistan private sector in strengthening its knowledge of the opportunities and challenges from the WTO membership.  To achieve this, the awareness of the private sector in the targeted sectors of agro industrial products, textiles, and financial, telecommunications, transport and energy services will be increased so that they understand the business implications of WTO accession and trade policy.