TAIPEI -- Taiwan will ask seven countries - which are applying to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) - to open markets to Taiwan, the ****Economics Daily News***** said on Monday.

The countries are Vietnam, Russia, Belarus, Urkaine, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia and Laos. They are among the more than 20 countries which are applying to join WTO, DPA reported.

Taiwan has become a WTO member for a year. As a WTO member, Taiwan can ask to hold consultation with WTO applicants to ask them to open markets to Taiwan businesses, the daily said.

The move is to remove discrimination against Taiwan investors and to help Taiwan manufacturers to invest in these countries, it said.

Taiwan chose the seven countries to hold market-opening talks because Taiwan has, or hopes to have, close trade ties with them, the paper said.