Russia's WTO accession may be stalled till 2008

Moscow, Oct 27: Russia's talks with the United States over its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) may be suspended for at least two years, a top expert said today.

''There are fears that the negotiating process toward signing a WTO accession protocol between Moscow and Washington will be put on hold, at least until the next political cycle in Russia and the US gets over in 2008, or even later,'' the deputy head of the Carnegie Moscow Centre, Dmitry Trenin, told RIA Novosti.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart George W Bush will see their terms end in 2008.

Russia's efforts to join the WTO reached a deadlock last July when the US refused to approve the bid unless American meat imports were allowed into the country without preliminary veterinary checks.

Mr Trenin said Russia had been showing an uncompromising approach in the final round of talks and may end up either bowing to the US demands or dropping its bid altogether.

''Not everyone in the ruling elite is convinced that Russia really needs to join the WTO,'' he noted.

Mr Trenin pointed out that another obstacle to Russia's WTO membership was the Jackson-Vanick amendment.

''Next year, if the protocol is signed, the issue of the Jackson-Vanick amendment will arise,'' he said.

The expert stressed it was highly unlikely that the White House will pressure the Congress into scrapping Jackson-Vanick, seen as discriminatory in Moscow, especially if the Democrats win a majority in one or both Houses in the coming mid-term elections. Russia's trade negotiator Maxim Medvedkov is currently discussing the issue with the US officials in Washington.

UNI