Consultations of Russian experts with members of the working group on Russia's accession to WTO held in Geneva - 21 September, 2002

The three-day consultations of Russian experts with members of the working group on Russia's accession to the WTO were held in Geneva in the atmosphere of the growing mutual understanding, the diplomatic source in Geneva told in an interview with RIA Novosti. The consultations, which ended on Friday, were devoted to the trade aspects of the intellectual property. They were conducted for the first time in the multilateral format which, according to the interlocutor, was fully justified.

On the whole, the multilateral consultations, the interlocutor said, were held in a quiet and business atmosphere and were effective. Bilateral consultations were also held with the delegations of Mexico, Switzerland and the European Union, in the course of which specific questions pertaining to law enforcement proceedings in Russia and of interest for the partners were discussed.

According to the interlocutor, the Russian side, basing itself on the results of the consultations held and the latest changes in the Russian legislation, is going any time soon to prepare corresponding amendments to the second variant of the final report of the WTO working group. He also pointed out that apart from conducting consultations, the Russian experts took part in the sessions of the WTO working bodies devoted to intellectual property and held within the framework of a new round of international trade negotiations.