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WTO entry would «muzzle» Belarus’ economy, Polish official says

Belarus’ economy would be “muzzled” after the country joins the World Trade Organization (WTO), Adam Orzechowski, deputy director of the Polish economy ministry’s trade policy department, said in Warsaw on Monday, speaking during a conference organized by the Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE) and the Minsk-based IPM Research Center.

“Before weighing the advantages of joining the WTO, it is necessary to realize that the economy will be muzzled, figuratively speaking,” Mr. Orzechowski said.

“At first it won’t be very comfortable psychologically, but no one will die of hunger, the way no one has died in other countries,” he said. According to Mr. Orzechowski, Poland had to lower the rates of its customs duty and assume a number of other responsibilities after becoming a member of the global trade body. “We’ve coped with the problems and the country now has an open predictable economic policy,” he said.

Poland’s share in the global trade has grown considerably because of membership in the WTO, with its exports increasing several times, Mr. Orzechowski said.

Belarus started WTO entry talks as far back as 1993. Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed last week that Belarus was “on the threshold” of joining the World Trade Organization. “We’ll join [the WTO] sooner or later,” he said. “In fact, we’ve de facto joined the WTO already. That is why economic competition will only increase.” //BelaPAN