One of our main activities is organising and hosting Luncheon Briefings on pertinent topics of EU-Asia relations. Beginning with an informal lunch, the Briefings usually last for 1.5 hours, including questions.

Attendees include EIAS members and other interested parties.

Experts wishing to discuss a possible topic for a Luncheon Briefing are invited to contact EIAS Director Dr Willem van der Geest.

Kyrgyzstan’s Accession to the WTO – Implications for Central Asia
Friday, 20 January 2004 12.30-14.30

European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS)
Rue des Deux Eglises 35, B-1000 Brussels
(Metro: Arts-Loi/Kunst-Wet)

Guest Speaker: Mr. Muktar Jumaliev
First Deputy Minister for Foreign Trade of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek

In December 1998, Kyrgyzstan became the first country among the former Republics of the Soviet Union to join the WTO. It still remains the only Central Asian WTO Member State, and faces strong protection measures in trade with its neighbouring countries.

Central Asia's integration into the multilateral trade system is of utmost importance  for Kyrgyzstan, which has put considerable efforts into the trade liberalisation of the region. However, an efficient mechanism for dispute settlement still remains to be developed for the region.

Mr Jumaliev is the First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of External Trade and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic. Mr Jumaliev is in charge of the multilateral and bilateral trade negotiation within the WTO as well as developing foreign trade and promoting exports.

A slide presentation of this briefing is avaliable (pdf).

Photographs of the briefing