139. The Chairperson informed the Council that, since the previous meeting, the accession negotiations with two governments had been concluded, namely the Kyrgyz Republic and Latvia, subject to ratification. The Protocols of Accession for both these countries included, in relation to the TRIPS Agreement, a commitment that no transitional period under the TRIPS Agreement would be invoked. Meanwhile, the Kyrgyz Republic had deposited its instrument of ratification and would become a WTO Member as of 20 December 1998.
