Russia signs accord with Cambodia on WTO admission

PARIS (AFP) — Russia on Friday signed an agreement with Cambodia on Moscow's future membership of the World Trade Organisation, Russia's economic development and trade ministry said in a statement.

The ministry did not give details of the accord, which it said was signed by top officials from the two countries.

Russia, which has struggled for over a decade to join the 150-nation world trade body, is hoping to wrap up its membership negotiations this year. It is the only main world economy not to have joined the world trade watchdog.

However deputy Prime Minister Alexander Jukov cast doubt on whether Russia would meet its goal when addressing an economic forum in Sochi on Friday.

"I think that we will not enter the WTO before the end of 2007," he said.

Cambodia not against Russia in WTO

18.07.2007
www.lenta.ru

Russia and Cambodia have agreed to conclude an agreement saying the RF can join the World Trade Organization. The document will be signed in the nearest time, the representative of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade said.

To join the WTO Russia needs Saudi Arabia and Georgia to approve its membership. Saudi Arabia is ready to hold negotiations 23 July in Geneva, while Georgia stands its ground and doesn’t seem to be eager to meet the wishes of the neighboring country.

Russia set to conclude WTO talks with Vietnam, Cambodia in June

26/ 05/ 2007

ST. PETERSBURG, May 26 (RIA Novosti) - Russia hopes to conclude bilateral talks with Vietnam and Cambodia on its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) by the end of June, Russia's economics minister said Saturday.

Moscow has signed bilateral protocols with all but two WTO members, and has yet to complete multilateral talks with its trade partners within the 150-member organization.

"I believe we will be ready to sign [an agreement with Vietnam] in June," Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said. "Also last details [of an agreement] are being coordinated with Cambodia."

Jose Manuel Barroso, the president of the European Commission, said following the Russia-EU summit in the Volga River city of Samara May 18 that the EU fully supports the prospect of Russia joining the global trade organization.

Earlier Andrei Kushnirenko, a deputy head of the trade talks department with the Russian Economic Development and Trade Ministry, said after joining the WTO, Russia will gain the right to defend its interests and participate in all talks on trade regulations planned for the next decade, although the country will start gradual transition to an open market economy only after a year of its accession.

Russia to complete WTO talks with Vietnam, Cambodia soon - Gref

MOSCOW. April 9 (Interfax) - Russia expects to complete bilateral WTO accession talks with Vietnam in April and with Cambodia in May, Economics Minister German Gref said at an international congress "Russia in WTO: hopes and strategic opportunities."

He said that last week the Russian delegation held talks in Vietnam and Cambodia. "With Vietnam the talks are at an advanced stage of completion. We plan to complete them by the end of the month," he said.

Gref said that Cambodia put forward conditions concerning commodities that interest it, which are unacceptable for Russia. It was agreed that a new meeting will be held in May. "I hope we will manage to agree with Cambodia by the end of May," the minister said.