Brussels, 08/05/2007 (Agence Europe) - Although it appeared almost settled a year ago, the process for Russia joining the WTO is now moving in slow motion and is under threat of being added to the other disputes (Russian embargo on Polish meat and energy security) pitting European leaders against president Putin at the EU/Russia summit in Samara on 17-18 May. Following the visit of trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson to Moscow at the end of March to resolve some points of trade friction with his counterpart German Gref, which achieved mixed results (EUROPE 9393, 9395 and 9397), his spokesperson, Peter Power, warned last Friday that the Union would not allow Russian entry into the WTO at just any price, as sought by Mr Gref. Mr Power declared that they had to say clearly that the union was prepared to support a swift conclusion to the process of Russia joining the WTO but not just at any price. He called on Moscow to demonstrate the “political will” to remove the remaining barriers. There are still some tariff-linked issues to be resolved, such as the problem of differentiated tariffs on Russian wood to the Common market and discriminatory tariffs imposed by Moscow on railway freight from Union member states, as well as the question of compatibility with WTO rules on some recent Russian laws, particularly with regard to the registration of some products. Confident that these “essentially technical” problems can be resolved in Samara on the condition that there is a “real political commitment” from Russia, Power, nonetheless, downplayed the importance of this warning. According to a Community source, however, quoted by AFP, current tensions between the Union and Russia, stirred up by the recent quarrel between Moscow and Tallinn, could lead some Union member states to not give their approval when the time comes, to the Commission's recommendation inviting the EU27 to support Russian accession to the multilateral organisation responsible for governing world trade. (eh)