Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev confirmed on Friday, Jan 27, that the energy-rich Central Asian state was likely to conclude talks to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) this year.

“Talks on Kazakhstan’s WTO accession are expected to be concluded in 2012,” Nazarbayev said during his annual state-of-the-nation address, RIA Novosti reported.

In June 2009, the prime ministers of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus decided to join the WTO as a single customs territory, but the idea was later dropped because of their differing degrees of readiness for membership.

Astana subsequently announced plans to enter the WTO by the end of 2010, but later had to scrap its plans.

Nazarbayev said in November 2011 Moscow and Astana had signed an agreement under which Russia would support Kazakh's application to enter the WTO after it joined the organization itself.

Russia is expected to formally join the world trade club in the first half of 2012.