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Ambassador Mohammad Reza Alborzi of Iran said that “a decision that
has long been overdue has now been established”. He added that “the future
of Iran's working relationship with the WTO will make it more clear to us
and to the member states as to the potential outcomes of the accession
process, something that we would explore and examine closely and prudently”.
Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Hélder Pasquete Lima of Sao Tomé and
Principe said that as an observer in the WTO since 2001 his country now
wished to become a full member of this “big family of global
multilateralism”. He said that Sao Tomé is a least-developed country, which
believes the WTO can play a major role in promoting trade and development.
The WTO has 148 Members. The establishment of accession working parties for
Iran, and Sao Tomé and Principe brings to 30 the number of governments
negotiating entry into the WTO. These are Algeria (year of application:
1987), Russian Federation (1993), Saudi Arabia (1993), Belarus (1993),
Ukraine (1993), Sudan (1994), Uzbekistan (1994), Vietnam (1995), Seychelles
(1995), Tonga (1995), Kazakhstan (1996), Azerbaijan (1997), Lao People's
Democratic Republic (1997), Samoa (1998), Andorra (1999), Lebanese Republic
(1999), Bosnia Herzegovina (1999), Bhutan (1999), Cape Verde (1999), Yemen
(2000), Bahamas (2001), Tajikistan (2001), Ethiopia (2003), Libya (2004),
Iraq (2004), Afghanistan (2004), Republic of Serbia (2004), Republic of
Montenegro (2004), Iran (2005), and Sao Tomé and Principe (2005).
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Accession working parties
established for Iran, Sao Tomé and Principe