Ukraine officially joined the World Trade Organization on May 16, becoming the 152nd member. WTO Director General Pascal Lamy welcomed Ukraine as a new member, saying that it is "a significant step for the WTO as this new membership will strengthen the multilateral trading system."
"We will reassure the WTO that Ukraine is ready to participate in the Doha round trade (liberalization) negotiations and to the process of accession of other countries," said Volodymyr Baluta who is head of the Ukrainian economic service .
The entrance of Ukraine before Russia could allow it to have a say on the difficult negotiations of Moscow's own admission to the WTO and the subject has already proved delicate.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2008
