Russia , the only major country still outside the WTO, still faces major barriers to membership even after 14 years of negotiations to join the 152-member body, which sets the rules on global trade.
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EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said Friday the bloc wanted "to insert principles of transparency and non-discrimination" into the economic relationship.
The summit gives the EU a chance to test the intentions of Medvedev, who was inaugurated in early May. While his predecessor and mentor, Vladimir Putin, rolled back many post-Soviet democratic reforms during his eight-year tenure, Medvedev has vowed to protect the rule of law, media freedom and human rights, the AP reports.
Skeptics in Russia and the West say Medvedev's pledges are no more than rhetoric and expect him to toe the course of his predecessor, who retains clout as Russia's prime minister. Putin was not attending the summit.
The EU wants Russia to commit to bolstering democratic reforms and preserving human rights as part of the new "strategic partnership" agreement it hopes to have in force by July 2009.
AP photo
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