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One of the central objectives of the Trade Directorate's activities is to strengthen the dialogue with non-Member economies on trade-related issues and on the effects of liberalisation to support their full integration into the multilateral trading system. The consensus-building process takes place through sharing widely the Trade Committee's analysis on a broad range of trade issues in regular workshops and meetings with different non-Members, in particular in the framework of the OECD Global Trade Forum. Furthermore, the Trade Directorate pursues an analytical work dealing with some specific aspects such as trade and development and problems related to transition economies.
The trade policy dialogue with transition economies seeks to provide an active support for the integration and active participation of these countries in the international trading system.
The Trade Directorate has established a dialogue with the Russian Federation on trade-related issues. Its main purpose is to encourage Russia's acceptance of multilateral trade disciplines and facilitate the development of a business-friendly trade environment and an open economy in this country. Given the country's regional economic and trade importance and its leading role in regional integration, this activity is also relevant for other neighbouring countries, in particular the New Independent States (NIS). Activities addressed critical areas for Russia's integration into the international trading system, such as the need to improve the economic and legal environment for trade in services in Russia, trade-regulatory aspects and the problems related to the interface between the central and sub-national levels of government in Russia's trade policy. A Round Table on this latter topic was held in October 2001 in Vladivostok, resulting in a publication "Trade Policies in Russia: The Role of Local and Regional Governments".
The Trade Directorate also participates in the CCNM Baltic Regional Programme. This activity concentrates on the role of the service sector and trade in services in the Baltic States. Several meetings with Baltic trade officials were organised, in particular in Bucharest in June 2003 and in Paris in December 2003. The publication "Promoting Trade in Services: Experience of the Baltic States" (forthcoming) highlights the main elements of the strategies adopted in developing the service sector in the three countries. It reveals how, through market liberalisation and external opening, they successfully transformed the service sector into a prime contributor to their GDP and employment, as well as international trade.
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