WTO | 2012 Press Releases - Montenegro and Samoa strengthen the WTO (original) (raw)

WTO: 2012 PRESS RELEASES

PRESS/660

PRESS RELEASE

On 29 April 2012, the WTO welcomed Montenegro as its 154th member. Montenegro applied for WTO membership on 10 December 2004. On 30 March 2012, Montenegro informed the WTO it had accepted its membership package. This is the final step in the accession process.

The WTO will welcome Samoa as its 155th member on 10 May 2012. Samoa applied for WTO membership on 15 April 1998. On 10 April 2012, Samoa informed the WTO it had accepted its membership package.

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said: “The accession chapter is now closed. The membership path is now fully open. I look forward to working with Montenegro and Samoa to help them become full and active members of the global trading system.”

The terms of membership, including the Working Party Reports for both Montenegro’s and Samoa’s Accession, the Protocols of Accession, and the Schedules of commitments on Market Access for Goods and Services, were adopted by the WTO at the eighth Ministerial Conference on 15-17 December 2011.

Under WTO rules, a country becomes a member 30 days after national ratification.

More information about Samoa’s accession package

More information about Montenegro’s accession package

More information about the WTO decision at the eighth Ministerial Conference on 15-17 December 2011.