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Russia to speed up talks on WTO entry

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW JULY 26. Russia is resolved to speed up talks on joining the World Trade Organisation. ``Talks on Russia's entry into WTO have practically entered the final stage,'' the Russian Prime Minister, Mikhail Kasyanov, told a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Following recent accession of China to WTO, Russia is the only major country still remaining outside the 114-member organisation.

The Russian Premier said that after nearly eight years of talks with WTO differences over Russia's membership had been narrowed down to several issues but they were extremely "sensitive'' for the Russian economy.

Speaking after Thursday's Cabinet meeting, the Russian Minister for Economic Development and Trade, German Gref, said the Government had softened its stand on some disputed issues of Russia's membership. He gave no details, but analysts said Moscow was likely to yield ground on such WTO demands as giving free access to foreign banks, insurance and telecommunications

companies to the Russian market and reducing the agreed level of government support to agriculture.

There is one issue, however, on which Russia is determined to hold its ground — low electricity, gas and oil prices on the domestic market. ``The question of levelling out energy prices was not discussed with any country applying for WTO membership and cannot be a matter for negotiationswith Russia either,'' Mr. Gref said. The Government fears that hundreds of factories will go bankrupt if energy prices, which currently amount to about a third of world prices, are hiked. Russia also wants to retain protective import tariffs on some commodities, such as aircraft.

The Russian Parliament has recently passed 20 laws from a package of 53 legal changes required to comply with the WTO rules. Recent moves by the United States and the European Union to formally recognise Russia as a market economy have also improved its chances of joining WTO.

Russia is anxious to join WTO before the January 1, 2005 deadline for the completion of the Doha round of negotiations which may set tougher terms for new applicants.

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