Aid for Trade is development-related financial assistance initiative of WTO Hong Kong conference, the major goal of which is to help developing countries to build their capacity to trade efficiently internationally. For this purpose as well as for promoting stability and well being extensively, the Government of Finland under the Wider Europe programme finances trade need assessment for former Soviet republics. This task was assigned to UNDP. The task has been finished for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kirghizstan. For Azerbaijan, it is on final stage. For Armenia, at this point the working team was formed constituted by one international and two local experts. The main goal of the team is to identify a set of policy recommendations and technical assistance needs aimed at improving the contribution of trade to human development and poverty reduction. The team is very flexible and will take into consideration officials and private sector representatives’ opinions as well. The work is planned to be finished at the end of October after taking account the suggestions from the Governmental Bodies of Armenia and Independent consultants. And the outcomes will be published in two languages: Armenian and English. Source: the working team

---