OREANDA-NEWS. On 03 April 2009 was announced, that the draft memorandum between the Foreign Ministries of Belarus and Ukraine on concerted approaches to the application of protective measures in mutual trade has been agreed by both sides, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Yevdochenko told.

The matter concerned antidumping, special protective and countervailing measures, he said. “We would like to synchronize technical issues [of application of restrictive measures] and the track record of their application,” Yevdochenko said.

“We will include the mechanism of mutual consultations in order for concerned ministries to be able to consult before restrictive procedures start,” he said.

The memorandum will not aim to abolish the restrictive measures already in effect. “Protective measures are allowed by the WTO, and to lift them using administrative levers is impossible,” Yevdochenko said.

During the forthcoming round of consultations the Foreign Ministry of Belarus and Economy Ministry of Ukraine “will have a closer look at current measures and try and meet halfway as soon as technical issues and procedures are concerned.”

Yevdochenko said Belarus was getting ready for the coming visit of Prime Minister Sergei Sidorsky to Ukraine to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Yulia Timoshenko.

“I cannot say for sure whether the meeting will be held in April or May. The premiers agreed to meet, and we need to coordinate the date,” Yevdochenko said.

The draft memorandum may be signed during the meeting of the two premiers, he added.