18.04.2008
Ukraine will officially join the World Trade Organization (WTO) on May 16, following more than a decade of negotiations, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vasyl Kyrylych said Thursday.
A formal notification of Ukraine 's ratification of the accession protocol was submitted to WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy on Wednesday, Kyrylych said.
The Ukrainian parliament ratified the WTO accession protocol by an overwhelming majority on April 10.
Ukraine 's President Viktor Yushchenko had signed the document in Geneva on February 5, 2008 , after more than 14 years of negotiations. It was then presented to parliament for ratification.
Membership of the WTO takes effect 30 days after ratification. Ukraine will then become the trade bloc's 152nd member