Russia aims for WTO membership by 2008 polls

Moscow, Apr 4: Russia plans to conclude its negotiations to enter the World Trade Organisation (WTO) before the presidential election in 2008, Economy Minister German Gref said today.

''It is crucial for us to enter the next political cycle as WTO members,'' Gref told a US Chamber of Commerce conference in Moscow. President Vladimir Putin has to step down in March 2008 after his second and last term in the Kremlin expires.

''Our key goal for this year is to join. Nothing has changed,'' Gref added.

Gref said Russia's first three-year budget, which will go to parliament this month, was calculated on the assumption that Russia will become a WTO member as of January 1, 2008.

Gref said Russia would lose 40 billion roubles in 2008, 70 billion in 2009 and 100 billion roubles in 2010 as a result of lower customs duties but said the losses will be offset by growing trade and capital inflows.

Russia wants to finish its WTO negotiations with the European Union within two months and with the United States within the next few months, Gref said.

He said there were four key remaining issues with the United States, including Russian supplies of uranium and fertilisers.

Gref, who met US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez today, said he believed these matters could be resolved successfully and quickly.

Gutierrez told reporters the US delegation raised demands concerning intellectual properties rights including the closure of factories producing pirated discs and the closure of a music Web site that allows the free download of MP3 tracks.

''We want to move forward quickly and solve remaining issues including intellectual property rights and agriculture,'' Gutierrez said. He added the United States was willing to help Russia in multilateral negotiations with other partners.

Gutierrez dismissed suggestions that a chill in political relations following Putin's speech in February in Munich would affect economic ties. Putin accused Washington of unilateral actions in the West Asia and elsewhere.

''We look at the numbers. Our exports to Russia were up 20 percent last year. The numbers tell the story as opposed to the anecdotes,'' he said.

Reuters