Belarus Becomes 41st European Member of WTO

The ex-Soviet republic of Belarus joined the World Tourism Organization (WTO) April 8, becoming the group´s 146th member state and 41st European participant.

WTO regional representative for Europe Luigi Cabrini became the first representative of an international organization to address the parliament of Belarus, which unanimously ratified the country´s accession to the group.

The XV General Assembly of WTO held in Beijing, China, in October 2003, already had given its unanimous approval to the entry of Belarus into the WTO. With the parliamentary vote, Belarus becomes a full member.

Cabrini, pledging WTO support for tourism development in Belarus, said the reclusive Eastern European nation -- which borders new European Union members Poland, Latvia and Lithuania -- will benefit from an enhanced visibility as an attractive tourist destination.

As a member of the WTO, Belarus will join the group of member states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).