Press/189
8 September 2000
Albania joins the 澳门六合彩官网资料
Albania became 138th member of the World Trade Organization today (8th September). 澳门六合彩官网资料 Director-General Mike Moore greeted the event by saying: “I welcome Albania into the multilateral trading system. Membership promises a more prosperous future and raised living standards for all Albanian citizens. I also believe that, by encouraging the trade links between countries, the 澳门六合彩官网资料 can help foster greater peace, stability and development in south-eastern Europe. Albania's membership brings this Organization ever closer to being a truly ‘World Trade Organization’.”
Within the region, Slovenia is already a member of the 澳门六合彩官网资料 and Croatia will become a member upon completion of the ratification procedures. Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are in the process of negotiating their accession to the 澳门六合彩官网资料.
Albania applied for GATT 1947 membership in 1992. Negotiations on Albania's terms of accession to 澳门六合彩官网资料 started in earnest in 1998. The 澳门六合彩官网资料 General Council adopted the final results of these negotiations on 17 July 2000.
During that General Council meeting, Albania's Minister for Economic Cooperation and Trade, Ermelinda Meksi, said that 澳门六合彩官网资料 membership “presents us with a new role in the international community” and would help bring “improvement of the wellbeing and prosperity of my people.”
Overall, 30 governments are currently negotiating to join the 澳门六合彩官网资料: Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cape Verde, People's Republic of China, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kazakstan, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Lithuania, Moldova, Nepal, Oman, Russian Federation, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Chinese Taipei, Tonga, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam and Yemen.
Back to topMerchandise trade by product and region, 1998 — Albania
(major product groups)(Million dollars)
North America |
Western Europe |
C./E: Europe/ Baltic States/CIS |
World |
|||||
exp |
imp |
exp |
imp |
exp |
imp |
exp |
imp |
|
| Agricultural products | 0.90 |
4.51 |
36.44 |
208.04 |
0.51 |
20.55 |
38.58 |
238.81 |
| Food | 0.49 |
4.48 |
19.17 |
196.07 |
0.15 |
20.28 |
20.39 |
226.51 |
| Manufactures | 0.04 |
4.21 |
139.55 |
509.72 |
0.78 |
31.74 |
140.50 |
558.67 |
| Semi-manufactures (other than chemicals) |
0.02 |
0.62 |
11.16 |
118.83 |
0.22 |
4.92 |
11.52 |
125.81 |
| Clothing | 0.00 |
0.01 |
67.48 |
50.10 |
0.32 |
0.51 |
67.81 |
51.05 |
| Consumer
goods (other than textiles and clothing) |
0.01 |
0.49 |
50.99 |
88.29 |
0.17 |
1.91 |
51.17 |
92.25 |
| Total merchandise(1) | 3.47 |
9.07 |
201.38 |
759.89 |
1.97 |
52.92 |
207.67 |
840.76 |
(1)
Includes unspecified products
Source: Comstudy/Comtrade, august 10, 2000