 RUSSIA IN FACTS |
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Russia may join WTO late in 2004 - German minister
BERLIN. Jan 17 (Interfax) - Russia may join the World Trade Organization late in 2004 or early in 2005, German
Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture Minister Renate Kuenast said on Saturday.
She was speaking at the 11th East-West agricultural forum in Berlin.
Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei Gordeyev said at the forum
that "it's true that a lot has been done" at the accession talks.
"The further progress of the negotiations on accession to the WTO
will be determined by how ready Russia's partners are to show a
European Commission member Franz Fischler told the forum that Russia's accession to the WTO was a difficult
process and that Russia faced a big task to adjust its legislation to WTO requirements.
But he said there had been some progress on the agricultural aspect of the accession process.
"About 85 tariff positions have been agreed with the partners, and negotiations with a number of countries are
finished already," he said.
constructive approach to the solution of problems that are particularly sensitive for the Russian side and Russian
citizens," he said.
According to Gordeyev, about 90 kinds of restrictive measures are used against Russian goods in the world market,
which inflicts damages of up to $2.5 billion a year on Russian exporters.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick told the forum his country supported Russia's bid for WTO membership.
[RU EUROPE EEU EMRG WTO TRD DE WEU EU US] <>
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