Yushchenko, by submitting the legislation, is counting on support not only by opposition parties such as Our Ukraine and the group led by former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, but also by the Socialists and the Regions, Yatseniuk said.

Joining the WTO before the end of the year was a condition that had been agreed upon by Ukraine??™s major parties in August, when they signed the national unity pact known as the Universal.

???Those who signed the Universal, those that have respective business interests and those that have national interests must vote for these bills,??? Yatseniuk said.

Joining the WTO is a cornerstone of Yushchenko??™s pro-Western policy, but Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of the Regions Party, has been increasingly challenging Yushchenko and trying to change the course towards closer cooperation with Russia.

Ukraine??™s accession to the WTO would open door for the country to sign a free-trade agreement the European Union, analysts said.

Analysts said joining the WTO would help Ukraine boost foreign investment by 50% and increase exports by 10% each year, helping the country to boost economic growth by an extra 1.9 percentage points annually.

???If the bills are not supported, some other mechanisms will be used,??? Yatseniuk said. ???For example, the president may be holding separate talks with members of the anti-crisis [pro-government] coalition and with members of the opposition,??? Yasteniuk said. (tl/ez)