MINSK, Minsk 24 (BelTA) – Belarus and Ukraine are planning to sign a memorandum to regulate the use of trade protection measures, Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Andrei Yevdochenko told a press conference in Minsk on March 24.

“We have agreed with Ukraine to sign a memorandum. In line with the document, before launching antidumping investigations the sides will try to settle arising issues by means of talks and consultations,” Andrei Yevdochenko said. According to him, the document will be signed at the next meeting of the prime ministers or vice-premiers of the two countries. The preparation of the meetings is underway. “I think the memorandum will be signed in April or May,” Andrei Yevdochenko said.

The Belarusian and Ukrainian sides have agreed “to take another look into the existing antidumping measures, from the organisational and technical point of view, to try to harmonize the positions where possible, to accommodate each other,” Andrei Yevdochenko said

Andrei Yevdochenko stressed that in the 1990s antidumping measures against Belarus were mainly applied by Western Europe and the US. Today the geography has changed. First of all these are the CIS countries, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Moldova in particular. “Today Ukraine is the leader in applying antidumping measures,” he added.

The Deputy Minister has informed that Belarusian companies suggest that the Foreign Ministry should introduce trade measures to protect Belarusian goods. According to Andrei Yevdochenko, the companies should pay greater attention to professional qualifications of experts in foreign trade. The preparation of the information and estimates of the use of protection measures should be correct and economically irreproachable, the Deputy Foreign Minister said.

03/24/2009 04:19 PM

Source: law.by