A meeting of the working group on interaction between the Member States of the Eurasian Economic Union and the Eurasian Economic Commission on World Trade Organization issues was held under the chairmanship of Vladimir Serpikov, Director of the Eurasian Economic Commission's Trade Policy Department.
The parties exchanged views and discussed the priorities of the EAEU countries regarding current issues on the negotiating agenda of the WTO's 14th Ministerial Conference, which will be held from 26 to 29 March 2026 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
In particular, a discussion took place on the problem of the “erosion” of the most-favored-nation treatment and the principle of reciprocity in modern international economic relations, reform of the WTO, and the progress of negotiations on e-commerce. In addition, issues related to the incorporation of the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement into the Marrakesh Agreement and the progress of multilateral trade negotiations on agriculture were discussed.
"Meeting participants expressed the need to reach agreements at the 14th Ministerial Conference on continuing the transparent and inclusive negotiation process on WTO reform to ensure predictability and stability in global trade and preserve the rules-based multilateral trading system," noted Vladimir Serpikov. "A willingness to support the decision to extend the moratorium on the collection of customs duties on electronic transmissions was also expressed, provided that a consensus on this issue is reached among WTO members."
The Ministerial Conference is the highest body of the WTO, whose meetings are held every two years. During Ministerial Conferences, decisions are made on significant issues related to existing WTO agreements, and new agreements are formed as well.
The upcoming Ministerial Conference in Cameroon is seen as an attempt to address the WTO crisis and restore confidence in the multilateral trading system amid uncertainty and the erosion of fundamental rules of international trade.
In Yaoundé, ministers from 166 WTO members will consider issues related to WTO reform, e-commerce, agriculture, fishery subsidies, and the possibility of incorporating plurilateral agreements into WTO law.
In accordance with the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union
, the EAEU is guided in its activities by the norms and rules of the WTO, building a unified foreign trade policy with due account for the principles of the multilateral trading system.
