Brussels/Moscow, 30/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - Russia hopes to complete the accession negotiations to the World Trade Organisation at the beginning of next year, stated Guerman Gref, Russian Trade Ministers, this Friday in Moscow, in the framework of the roundtable on this country's integration into the world system (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.13). However, Mr Gref feels that accession, sought by Moscow since 1993 "relies more on its partners" than on Russia itself. Russia no longer requests special conditions, but it cannot accept that it is presented with continuously greater requirements during the negotiations, stated the Prime Minister Mikail Kassianov, when opening the roundtable. Russia has already made a series of concessions, he said. A break of five to ten years seems to him to be necessary to complete the restructuring of the core branches. We are favourable to a reasonable and progressive approach, he summarised, when adding that Russia understands better that protectionism is a 'bad remedy".
A little later, Mike Moore, Director General of the WTO, noted that the Russian regulations in terms of customs duties, import licences, VAT, subsidies and anti-dumping do not correspond with the institution's requirements. The WTO requires a modernisation of the Russian legislation to allow for its accession, he indicated, in the statements reported by the Russian agency Prime-Tass. Mr Moore felt that last year's talks already allowed to establish "solid foundations" and that the negotiation process will no doubt "accelerate" in the coming months.