Ukraine has become the twentieth member of the Cairns Group, which was established within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and unites countries supporting the liberalization of international trade in agricultural products.

This decision was announced in a statement by the Cairns Group following its 43rd meeting in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, February 25.

"We are pleased to welcome Ukraine as a new member of the Cairns Group, noting Ukraine’s shared commitment to open, fair, market oriented agricultural trading system.  ," the document states.

Starting in January 2020, Ukraine held observer status in this WTO group, with negotiations for membership initiation beginning as early as 2009.

During the latest meeting, ministers noted that agriculture remains a major unfinished business for the WTO and should remain central to reform efforts. The Cairns Group aims to achieve fairness and level the playing field by reforming trade rules for agricultural products under Article 20 of the Agreement on Agriculture.

Additionally, they highlighted that domestic support remains high and continues to rise, calling on members to intensify efforts to significantly improve market access for agricultural products to create "fair conditions for international trade in all directions."

About the Cairns Group:

The Cairns Group was founded by WTO member countries with a significant share of agricultural exports in 1986.

It currently consists of 20 member states: Ukraine, New Zealand, Thailand, Canada, Australia, the Philippines, South Africa, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Chile.