The Kyrgyz Republic from 18 to 20 May 2021 at the headquarters of the World Trade Organization in Geneva presented its Third Trade Policy Review (TPR) report.
In connection with the epidemiological situation, this year the delegation of the Kyrgyz Republic, consisting of representatives of key ministries and departments, took part in the Review in an online format to present to the WTO member countries the latest changes and achievements in the field of trade policy of the Kyrgyz Republic from 2013 to 2019. ... The Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic S.M. Rysaliev headed the delegation of the Kyrgyz Republic.
At the meeting of the WTO Trade Policy Review Body, two reports on the review of the country's trade policy have considered in parallel: the report of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, approved by the order of the GKR dated April 5, 2021, No. 85-r, and the report of the WTO Secretariat.
Within the framework of the above-mentioned Survey, 11 WTO member countries asked more than 160 questions in writing, to most of which the Kyrgyz Republic provided written answers. The questions of the member countries touched upon the widest range of trade and investment policies, and the economic reforms have carried out in the country.
The member countries drew attention to the main development programs of Kyrgyzstan. First, it is the National Development Strategy of the Kyrgyz Republic for 2018-2040. According to this document, all interested parties received the requested information with a detailed explanation of the ways of solving the raised problematic issues. The issues also touched upon the Export Development Program.
A number of WTO member countries asked questions about the investment climate in the country, and whether the Kyrgyz Republic will be able in practice to provide those guarantees and freedoms for foreign investors that have laid down in the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic. In addition, the WTO member countries paid special attention to the issues of the country's tax system, the business environment and the fight against the shadow economy.
A number of WTO member countries aroused interest in aspects related to exemption from VAT and concessional lending to agricultural and other isolated sectors, related to increasing the country's export potential in terms of compliance of these state support measures with WTO standards. In turn, the Kyrgyz Republic assured the WTO member countries that all measures for the state support not go beyond the permissible standards established by the WTO rules.
In addition, the attention of most WTO member countries have paid to the development of priority sectors for the Kyrgyz Republic, such as mining, energy and the development of transport infrastructure.
The Kyrgyz Republic received a number of questions from the WTO member countries regarding agreements on a free trade zone and integration processes in which the Kyrgyz Republic is involved, in particular, the Kyrgyz Republic's accession to the Eurasian Economic Union in 2015. These questions mainly related to the areas of customs valuation, protective measures, SPS and TBT standards, and tariff regulation, FTA between the EAEU and third countries and other areas.
In addition, the WTO member countries inquired about the state of affairs in some of the negotiation areas of Kyrgyzstan on the WTO platform, such as accession to the WTO Agreement on Public Procurement and negotiations on changing the tariff obligations of the Kyrgyz Republic in connection with the accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the EAEU.
The Kyrgyz Republic provided detailed answers to most of the questions, where it was generally has stated that the Kyrgyz Republic would continue to support the WTO multilateral trading system as a guarantor of compliance with multilateral trade rules and fulfill international obligations under the WTO in all areas of economic and trade reforms.
The WTO member countries positively assessed the efforts and initiatives aimed at further liberalizing the trade regime of the Kyrgyz Republic, expressed interest in further strengthening trade relations and wished an early economic recovery after COVID-19.
