WTO member nations commended the notable strides made by Comoros in concluding its WTO accession negotiations at the ninth session of the Working Party on the Accession of the Union of the Comoros to the WTO. The Comoros delegation reaffirmed that its committed to formally enter the WTO by signing its accession protocol at the upcoming 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) according to a press release.
The World Trade Organization announced, "Ambassador Zniber thanked Comoros for the decisive steps taken domestically to address the concerns raised by members and acknowledged members' determination to support Comoros in meeting its goals by dedicating additional resources to this accession dossier."
According to the WTO, the meeting, held on 5 October was chaired by Ambassador Omar Zniber of Morocco. The Working Party received a distinguished delegation led by Mr. Ahmed Ali Bazi, who serves as the Minister of Economy, Industry, and Investment, and the chief negotiator for the WTO accession. This delegation featured high-ranking officials from customs and the Ministry of Economy, along with prominent figures such as Mr. Ahamada Baco, the Vice-President of the National Assembly, and Mr. Chamsoudine Ahmed, the President of the Chamber of Commerce according to a press release.
Ambassador Zniber highlighted Comoros' significant advancements in addressing outstanding WTO accession issues since the January Working Party session. One crucial component of the Accession Package comprises the draft Report of the Working Party, which represents the concluding document for approval by the General Council. This report encompasses the applicant nation's commitments related to market access and adherence to WTO regulations according to a press release.
According to a press release, Ambassador Zniber said, “work has advanced in a very positive direction over the past few months and the document has now clearly reached an advanced stage of technically maturity.”
Minister Ahmed Ali Bazi provided an overview of recent legislative changes made by Comoros to align its economic policies with WTO standards, particularly in domains such as copyright and customs procedures. WTO members expressed their strong backing for Comoros' efforts toward accession and praised the government's diligent work in pursuit of this objective according to a press release.