Panitchpakdi: Saudi Arabia near accession to the WTO
Saudi Arabia is expected to join the World Trade Organization in late 2004.
“After over 10 years of negotiations, the prospect of Saudi Arabia’s accession to the WTO is no longer a dim light at the end of the tunnel, but an imminent reality,” WTO director-general Supachai Panitchpakdi said in a speech at the Jeddah Economic Forum on Jan. 19. “If all goes well, there is a realistic chance that Saudi Arabia will accede to the WTO before the end of this year.”
The WTO chief added: “I should like to see Saudi Arabia playing its part in bringing the Doha Development Agenda to a successful conclusion.”