Time running short on Vietnam membership bid for WTO: diplomats

Time running short on Vietnam membership bid for WTO: diplomats

Vietnam was told by member states of the World Trade Organization
that time was running out if it wanted to join the WTO by the end
of the year, trade sources said over the weekend after a round of
membership talks.

Although the aim was supported by negotiators during informal
meetings at WTO headquarters, diplomats said a "tremendous
effort" would be needed to wrap up a deal in time for approval by
the organization's ministerial conference in Hong Kong in
December.

Nonetheless, negotiators said the overall process was speeding
up.

"It is clear that work is accelerating and that significant
progress has been made on the multilateral, bilateral and
legislative fronts," chief negotiator ambassador Eirik Glenne of
Norway said in Geneva.

However, Glenne cautioned that Vietnam and its trading
partners needed to conclude their bilateral agreements by the
next negotiating session in September to achieve the target of
year-end membership.

Glenne said the WTO had so far received no formal notice of
bilateral agreements by trading partners with Vietnam, a primary
step in sealing an overall membership agreement.

However, Vietnam's vice trade minister Luong Van Tu said the
country had reached agreements with eight trading partners.

Only two members, Argentina and the Euroepan Union, confirmed
they have reached bilateral agreements, trade sources said.

More than 40 of the WTO's members are taking part in the
working party on Vietnam's accession.

A key concern raised during the meeting was Vietnam's attempt
to ensure that only Vietnamese nationals would have the right to
import some products.

Vietnam received strong support from countries in the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), including China,
during the talks in Geneva, trade sources said.