Yemen is likely to join the World Trade Organization in October this year after signing an agreement on market access with Ukraine, a Yemeni official said on Wednesday.
Hamoud Al-Najar, chief of communication and coordination office with WTO at the ministry of industry and trade, said Yemen now needs only to complete technical requirements within the coming two months to join the organization in October.
The agreement signed this week put an end to Ukraine's inflexibility and tough conditions which have delayed Yemen's entry for almost three years.
More recently, foreign countries including those sponsoring the political transition under a power-transfer deal reached after the 2011 turmoil in Yemen, have intervened and convinced Ukraine to ease its terms for the country's accession into WTO.
Some of the conditions, which were put forward by Ukraine, seemed 'impossible' since they called for zero tariffs, officials said.
WTO existing members hold candidate countries and each has the right to ask for conditions which are suitable to serve its own and the bilateral interests.
Under the WTO rules, the members are supposed to ease their entry conditions for least developed countries including Yemen whose owes were deepened by the unrest.
Yemen applied for a WTO membership in 2000, a move which led to big improvements to key laws and product standards to meet the necessary requirements for the accession.
It is the poorest country in the region which is experiencing an unprecedented food crisis affecting about half of its population.