KYRGYZSTAN

wrapped up negotiations for accession to the World Trade Organization and is poised to become the first former Soviet state to join the WTO. The next steps are approval by two thirds of the WTO members, likely to come in the fall, followed by final ratification by the legislature in Kyrgyzstan. The accession agreement includes commitments to cut tariffs to a maximum of 10% (with a few exceptions) by the year 2000 and to liberalize rules for foreign investment.