Deputy Trade Minister: Talks on Russia's entry into WTO could end in 2004

Talks on Russia's entry into the WTO could end as early as 2004, said Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Maxim Medvedkov in a press conference yesterday. He said that a concrete date for joining the WTO has not yet been established, because the last WTO meeting in Mexico was broken up early and many questions went unanswered. Medvedkov said that he is hopeful that over the course of 2003 talks on access to world markets for Russian trade goods and services will be concluded and next year questions of systemic problems of Russia's entry into the WTO will also be decided.

He also said that unsolved questions include access to world markets for such Russian trade goods as airplanes, automobiles, textiles, furniture and agricultural products. 'It's those trade goods, which are involved in tense negotiations,' said Medvedkov. Moreover, the question of access for Russian telecommunications, financial and transport services has not been solved.