'There is no second state to hold such long negotiations with the WTO as Azerbaijan'

In Geneva, on July 6, Azerbaijan's Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov led a delegation at the 15th Meeting of the Working Group on Azerbaijan's potential membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). During the meeting, Minister Jabbarov discussed Azerbaijan's economic growth, trade development, integration into international trade, relevant legislation, and efforts to join the WTO. Notably, the previous meeting of this kind took place in 2017.

Azerbaijan submitted its application to join the WTO in 1997, which led to the establishment of a Working Group specifically for Azerbaijan on July 16 of the same year. However, the country's membership in the organization has been delayed for a significant period.

Rufat Guliyev, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Entrepreneurship, noted in a comment for Turan that  there is political will within Azerbaijan to become a WTO member, and measures are being taken to achieve this goal. Guliyev highlighted various actions aimed at liberalizing the country's economy, improving the entrepreneurial climate, and fostering a favorable investment environment. These efforts have garnered recognition from international organizations, including the WTO.

Guliyev acknowledged that the membership process is lengthy and involves signing documents at different stages. Furthermore, he pointed out that not all WTO member countries have benefitted from their membership in the past decade or so. Some countries experienced negative effects such as increased inflation rates, weakened sectors of their economies losing out in competitive struggles against imports, and heightened foreign debt. Nevertheless, positive outcomes have also been observed.

According to Guliyev, if Azerbaijan were to join the WTO swiftly, it might face similar negative consequences. Rapid accession could result in an influx of goods, rendering local products unable to compete due to pricing factors. Therefore, protecting domestic markets from low-quality imports and promoting local production is crucial.

Economist Gubad Ibadoglu, in an interview with Radio Azadlig, stressed  that working group meetings serve a primarily declarative purpose, and the key elements for becoming a WTO member lie in political will and decisions. However, these factors alone do not guarantee membership in the organization.

Ibadoglu highlighted how corporate interests hinder competition support, market liberalization, and trade openness in Azerbaijan. The presence of monopolies and oligopolies creates barriers to market entry, making it difficult to meet WTO requirements. It was revealed through investigative journalism that the president's family members control profitable business sectors in the country. While authorities dismiss these claims as attempts to pressure political figures, Ibadoglu argued that membership in the WTO can only be achieved once monopolies are eliminated and conditions are established for fair resolution of trade disputes in court.

Ibadoglu further noted that the Azerbaijani authorities have an interest in prolonging the membership process. Consequently, Azerbaijan holds the record for the longest negotiations with the WTO, as the organization does not consider the country to be highly significant due to its relatively small economy, limited trade volume, and minimal role in global trade.