28.02.2008, 13:39
Russia goes most of path to WTO joining - Nabiullina Russian has gone most of the path to joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), Minister of Economic Development and Trade Elvira Nabiullina said, Itar-Tass reports. “There remains a limited list of issues to be settled,” she said in an interview to the newspaper Vremya Novostei published on Wednesday. These are export taxes on timber and several issues with US on operation of state-owned enterprises. “At present, these matters are being discussed constructively enough,” Nabiullina said. “We are simultaneously preparing consolidated proposals for access to markets of services and goods. There is an accord on sections related with intellectual property. A section of the report on phytosanitary standards and technical regulation has been prepared, and it will be discussed. At the same time, we are holding talks with Georgia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The process with Georgia is going constructively enough. There is hope that we shall be able to find a formula of agreement in order Georgia lifts its objections to our joining the WTO. We are meeting each other halfway with Saudi Arabia. We have substantially moved forward with the UAE – I think we shall be able to sign a protocol in the nearest weeks,” Nabiullina said. As for Kiev’s barriers to the accession of Moscow to the WTO, “both we and Ukraine understand that there will be much more benefit from our membership in one organization than from disputes on bilateral issues, for which solution mechanisms are available,” she said.
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