In 2009 the project enhanced expert capacity of the national institutions and business associations in managing different aspects of WTO accession. Leading experts from governmental agencies, the business community, academicians as well as representatives of international organizations (EU, OSCE, etc.) have been engaged in project`s events in Minsk and around the country. Up to 400 specialists attended these events and were trained on various aspects of WTO accession.

Considering the lack of objective information on advantages and impact of WTO accession in the regions, the project increased public awareness by conducting of seminars and discussions “WTO: Principles of Activity, Advantages and Impact of Accession for Legal Entities of the Republic of Belarus”. The information campaign covered all regional capitals, up to 60 participants attended each seminar, representing local authorities, legal entities and key industrial enterprises.

In the framework of the regional seminars more than 300 specialists participated in a project`s survey (questionnaire) to identify major public concerns and attitudes to Belarus` WTO accession. The results of the survey have been published in a project`s handbook “World Trade Organization: Interaction between State and Business”. The majority of the respondents were anxious about the increase in competition from the side of imported goods, both on domestic and foreign markets. Regulation measures also provoked special interest. In order to diminish these concerns and present comprehensive answers, the National trainers on WTO delivered first-hand information both on risks and benefits of the WTO accession.

With a view to developing public-private dialogue in terms of WTO accession, the project arranged a workshop for the business community jointly with the Association of legal entities “Republican confederation of entrepreneurship”. Besides, the international roundtable “Trade Development and Export Promotion in the Modern World: Perspectives for Belarus” attracted experts and decision-makers from Governmental institutions as well as academicians from higher educational institutions, representatives of the business community and International organizations. This event served as an important forum for discussing the current trade related issues in terms of the world financial and economic crisis and Belarus` WTO accession. Senior economists from the UNDP Regional Center for Europe and CIS and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy delivered their reports.

The project also attracted international expertise for developing of the analytical papers for the Government. Practical recommendations are being elaborated within the second paper concerning options for reducing potential risks for specific sectors of the economy in terms of Belarus' WTO accession. The recommendations are to assist in decision-making during the accession talks, and also in terms of Belarus` participation in the Customs Union.

The necessity in comprehensive literature on WTO in Belarus has been satisfied to a large extent by three handbooks published by the project. In 2009 two of them, designed for the mass media and the business community, were published and disseminated. These editions as well as the first handbook (2008), elaborated for the experts and civil servants, were posted on the MFA`s webpage as follows: http://www.mfa.gov.by/ru/economic/foreign-trade/wto/8/.