DUSHANBE, December 1, 2015, Asia-Plus -- The Workshop to discuss World Trade Organization’s (WTO) issues opened here today to facilitate a greater understanding of the multilateral trading rules for agriculture as well as the agricultural trade commitments assumed by the country in the context of the WTO accession.

According to FAO CO in Tajikistan, the workshop has brought together representatives of related ministries, food safety, sanitary and phytosanitary authorities, Academia and public sector institutions with responsibility of implementing trade, agricultural policies, as well as agro-industry representatives from private sector.

“We hope that this workshop is intended to foster a discussion on options for trade-related reforms and support measures that would allow the countries to take greater advantage of the WTO membership for the benefit of agricultural development and food security,” – said Viorel Gutu, FAO Representative in Tajikistan.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be better able to understand and apply more consistently the WTO agreements and country-specific accession commitments related to agriculture.

Participants are discussing the challenges and opportunities that the WTO membership poses for the agricultural sector in Tajikistan and the needs for developing and updating regulatory frameworks, in particular for sanitary and phytosanitary systems, and adjusting agricultural policy required for exploiting the export opportunities.

Tajikistan became the 159th member of the WTO on March 2, 2013.  The membership has the potential for enhancing the country’s participation in global agricultural trade provided that the transformation of the economy and the institutional reforms it triggers help to increase the competitiveness of domestically-produced goods and services.

Understanding and applying the provisions of the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA), the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and other relevant agreements are the first step in the transition to the new trading rules.  But taking advantage of the opportunities that WTO membership provides also requires updating regulatory frameworks where necessary and adopting accompanying measures to improve the overall competitiveness of the agricultural sector.