On May 16, 2008, Ukraine became the 152nd member country of the WTO.  Ukraine applied for WTO membership in 1993.  CLDP has teamed with the WTO Accession team right from the beginning to help Ukraine navigate the long road to accession.  CLDP assistance in Ukraine has covered a multitude of legislative and regulatory drafting assistance, resident advisor support directly to the Minister of Trade and negotiating teams and short-term workshops and conference to build capacity for Ukrainian Government officials tasked with adhering to obligations under WTO agreements.  President Victor Yushchenko declared "Ukraine's membership to the WTO is truly an historic moment and is a decisive milestone in the development of our economy.  We are convinced that our efforts will yield results and allow us to build closer economic ties worldwide."  Congratulations to Ukraine for its successful accession efforts!