The World Trade Organisation is to get a new member by the end of the year, its 162nd.
Kazakhstan has completed all the membership negotiations after 20 years of tortuous talks, in fact ever since the WTO was created.
Next on the list are thought to be Afghanistan and Liberia, but although the WTO has succeeded in widening its group and getting members to abide by existing rules, it has so far failed in its other mission statement; to deepen global trade reforms.
Kazakhstan’s deal becomes official at the WTO General Council on June 22, when the full details of the final document will be released.
