Russia continues negotiating on entry into WTO

Russia does not deem it to be expedient to make a break in the talks on its entry into the WTO.

"We do not intend to make a break in the talks," Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Maksim Medvedkov said in an interview with RIA Novosti, commenting on the proposal to postpone the talks for six months.

"I do not think that a break in the negotiations can decide anything for the simple reason that nothing will change in half a year," the deputy head of the economic development ministry noted. "The parameters and time limits of a reform of the energy system can be changed but our problem is not that we and the EU have different ideas of elements of an energy reform. The difference of principle is that we want to carry out this reform in the directions and at the rate which we need." Medvedkov stated the intention of the Russian delegation at the talks on entry into the WTO to conclude the maximal possible number of accords with foreign partners before the end of this year.

The deputy head of the ministry agreed with the opinion of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexei Denisov that Russia will be able to join the WTO in two to three years.

"Technically this is possible but we, as before, do not set ourselves any time limits because we cannot forecast how questions will be decided," Medvedkov concluded.