ALMATY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan has applied to become a fully-fledged member of the World Trade Organisation, WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said on Twitter on Thursday, the last former Soviet republic to seek membership of the global body.
Natural gas is the main export of the desert nation of six million people which borders Afghanistan and Iran, among others. It is promoting a project to build a gas pipeline through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India.
Turkmenistan became an observer at the WTO last year. It usually takes years for a country to secure full membership as it negotiates matters such as transitional provisions and disputes with countries which are already WTO members. (Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov Editing by Gareth Jones)
