Brief Overview of Participation of Some Former USSR Countries in World Trade Organization Dispute

Abstract

The WTO dispute settlement procedures in a remarkable manner combine legal clarity and mandatory nature on the one hand, and flexibility inherent in policy decisions on the other. This provides the parties to the dispute with the opportunity to reach a mutually acceptable settlement at any stage of the proceedings, including outside the formal procedures, given the broad context of the bilateral agenda. All countries of the former USSR are integrated into the WTO system to one degree or another. The Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Armenia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are the WTO members. The Republic of Belarus, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are in the process of the WTO accession. Turkmenistan is expected to officially become an acceding member in the near future. This article provides an overview of WTO disputes involving some countries of the former USSR. Conclusions are made based on the results of the analysis.