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EU, US Pledge to Speed Up WTO Talks with Russia
Russia has failed to reach a breakthrough on it accession to the WTO at talks in St. Petersburg last weekend. President Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia’s determination to join the World Trade Organization but criticized it for protecting the interests of a select few developed countries.
Talks on Russia’s bid to enter the World Trade Organization topped the agenda at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg last weekend. U.S. Deputy Trade Representative Susan Schwab, WTO Secretary General Pascal Lamy and EU Trade Commission Peter Mandelson attend the St. Petersburg summit to meet with Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref. President Vladimir Putin also met with Pascal Lamy.
Peter Mandelson’s office confirmed on Tuesday that Russia’s hike in export duties on round wood, tariffs of Russian Railways and Siberia overflight fees still block the talks.
U.S. Deputy Trade Representative Susan Schwab reiterated that the United States would like to see Russia in the organization this year. But the timing of Russia’s entry to the WTO is in its own hands, Ms. Schwab told reporters. “When a country is ready to accede to the WTO that country needs to be fully comfortable with those rules and obligations,” she said Sunday.
WTO Director General Pascal Lamy made a ringing statement saying that “without Russia, the WTO is not really the multilateral institution it wants to be” to confirm that Russia’s accession to the WTO is a priority.
However, progress at the talks was moderate. Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said Sunday that the parties “agreed to speed up negotiations.” Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov, meanwhile, said Tuesday that the Russian government still expects the accession this year.
On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the WTO for protecting the interests of select developed countries. He called today’s international economic organizations “archaic, undemocratic and awkward”. “Today, protectionism which the WTO is intended to fight often comes from developed economies that set up this structure,” Vladimir Putin told reporters.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of June 13, 2007
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