GENEVA (AP) -- Jordan on Tuesday officially became the 136th member of the World Trade Organization, giving the resource-barren Arab kingdom greater access to world markets.
The middle eastern nation was accepted into the body which sets global trade rules, 30 days after the agreement with the WTO on Jordan's conditions for membership was ratified by the Jordanian parliament.
Jordan was originally approved for membership in November. But the process was held up by the collapse of the WTO's ministerial meeting in Seattle, which was supposed to rubber-stamp the approval.
In the last few months, Jordan has amended economic laws, removed barriers on foreign investment, reduced customs fees and introduced laws on intellectual property rights and trademarks. It also has been preparing the industrial infrastructure, setting up free zones where local and foreign firms are accorded incentives such as tax and export quota exemptions.
One other country, Georgia, has also been approved for WTO membership, but its government has not yet ratified the agreement.
The WTO has granted it an extension until May 15 to complete the process.
Jordan's neighbor, Saudi Arabia, is among some 30 other nations waiting to join the WTO, a list which also includes China and Russia.:
