Brussels, 26/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - According to diplomatic sources, Russia does not plan to complete preparations for a multilateral agreement with a view to WTO membership until next year. After having concluded preliminary bilateral discussions with over 60 countries, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab emirates being the last two to date, Moscow must conclude a bilateral agreement on access to the goods and services market with the EU and Georgia. Although negotiations with the EU are coming to an end, they are still stumbling against the dossier concerning Russian wood export tariffs. Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, who was in Moscow last week (EUROPE 9686), expressed optimism about the next agreement on this dossier which will open the way for Russian membership to the WTO. This issue will be evoked at the EU/Russia summit on 26 and 27 June. Negotiations with Georgia are coming up against still unresolved customs questions. Tbilissi insists that Russia respect a commitment taken in 2004 which provides for customs control posts to be legalised on Abkhaz and Ossetian sections of the Russian-Georgian border. Finally, at multilateral level, Russia must still negotiate the final version of the report from the WTO working group which is preparing for Russian accession and will define the trading rules with which Moscow must comply. The key points of the multilateral discussion, questions relating to plant and animal health aspects, export tariffs, farm subsidies, state-affiliated trading companies and intellectual property are now largely resolved. (E.H./transl.jl)c