The Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on June 6 formed a panel of arbitrators to consider Ukraine's claims against the Russian Federation in the lawsuit on transit restrictions.

According to the organization, its head made this decision in response to the request of Ukraine filed on May 22, since it was not possible to form an agreed panel of arbitrators in the framework of the decision of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) made on March 21 about its convocation.

According to the document, chairman of the panel of arbitrators is Georges Abi-Saab, two more members are Ichiro Araki and Mohammad Saeed.

The WTO specified the United States, the EU, China, Japan, Korea, Turkey, India, Moldova, Canada, Australia, Norway, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia and Singapore reserved the right to participate in panel proceedings as third parties.

As reported, Ukraine in mid-September 2016 sent a request for consultations with Russia to the WTO on the restrictions of transit of Ukrainian goods through the territory of the Russian Federation, but the consultations held in November did not lead to a consensus.