The ongoing negotiations for Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) have advanced, with recent meetings in Geneva bringing the process closer to completion. Ambassador Anita Pipan of Slovenia, Chair of the Working Party, highlighted that this meeting provided a chance to "inject fresh momentum into Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession process," which has been underway for 26 years.
Ambassador Pipan emphasized the importance of identifying remaining issues in the accession process. She noted that WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has prioritized Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession alongside Ethiopia and Uzbekistan for strategic focus this year and at the upcoming 14th Ministerial Conference in Cameroon.
Mr. Hamdo Tinjak, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, led Bosnia and Herzegovina's delegation. He stated that through its WTO accession efforts, Bosnia and Herzegovina has established an open foreign trade regime based on free movement principles. "Full WTO membership would serve as formal recognition of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country with harmonized and transparent trade legislation," Mr. Tinjak remarked.
Significant progress was reported in bilateral market access negotiations, particularly regarding petroleum fuels regulation. The draft Working Party Report is nearly complete, reflecting alignment with WTO rules.
Deputy Director-General Zhang Xiangchen noted that reactivating this process after seven years highlights constructive developments within this technically advanced file. DDG Zhang assured continued support from the WTO Secretariat to finalize these efforts soon.
Delegations acknowledged Bosnia and Herzegovina's technical engagement in advancing its accession process. Ambassador Pipan urged concluding remaining bilateral negotiations before or at MC14 to consolidate draft schedules on goods and services commitments.
Members are encouraged to submit additional questions by July 17 for circulation within the Working Party. The Secretariat will update the draft report accordingly, with hopes it will be final.
Future steps include consultations with delegations on concluding outstanding negotiations and finalizing the draft report before scheduling another Working Party meeting.