Cape Verde will become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) by 31 December, the country’s prime minister, José Maria das Neves confirmed Thursday in Praia.

Speaking at the Cape Verde National Assembly, Neves said that on Thursday the last obstacle to the country’s entering the organization, relating to doubts raised by El Salvador, had been resolved.

He added that negotiations with countries such as the United States and Brazil, which had been very supportive of Cape Verde’s entry into the WTO, as well as with the European Union (EU), were practically concluded.

On November 15, Cape Verde’s secretary of state for the economy, growth and competition, Jorge Borges, had said that Cape Verde was expected to enter the WTO in December and that most multi and bilateral negotiations had been concluded.

Cape Verde formally requested membership of the WTO in 1999 and, in the following year, a working group was set up to follow the process. From 2004 until now five negotiation meetings took place, with most progress being made this year.

The WTO is a worldwide organisation set up in 1995, with 151 countries, which supervises agreements on rules for trade.

The representatives of WTO member-countries met Thursday in Geneva to analyze trade agreements in the areas of goods already signed by Cape Verde with the EU, the US, Brazil and, in the last week, with Japan and Canada and are due to meet again on December 6 for the formal conclusion of the process.

Source: Macauhub