By Torrey Clark | The Moscow Times
It may not be a member yet, but Russia will have its say at this week's World Trade Organization summit in Doha, Qatar, Deputy Economic Development and Trade Minister Maxim Medvedkov said Friday. WTO member countries will still have to vote to let Russia participate in the discussions, but Russia has already reached an understanding with several countries, such as the United States, said Alexei Portanski, director of the WTO Information Office in Moscow. Russia will not have the right to submit proposals or to vote on WTO discussions until it accedes to the WTO. Medvedkov, the government's WTO pointman, said Russia's participation is of great significance and will give delegates a chance to monitor the action more closely.
The Doha meeting from Nov. 9 to Nov. 13 could see the WTO launch a new round of trade talks. A similar move failed at the last WTO ministerial meeting in Seattle two years ago. Developing countries, particularly India, have protested the declaration on launching such negotiations on the grounds that their interests would suffer.
Russia's interests would be best served if the new round of talks were postponed until it acceded and could influence the outcome of negotiations, Portanski said.
Issues vital to Russia's interests, including agricultural subsidies, reducing import tariffs and antidumping rules, are listed in the draft declaration for the Qatar meeting.
"Many WTO members have come to the conclusion that existing antidumping agreements are too harsh and allow external trade limitations to be imposed randomly or even based on political motivations," news agencies quoted Medvedkov as saying. "We are one of the most discriminated-against countries." Other issues will include regional trade agreements, clarification of environmental safety regulations, and WTO influence over investment rules.
Russia's star has been ascendant in the West, and favorable terms seem within grasp, but the government will not rush into WTO accession.
The government does not have a fixed timeline for accession, Medvedkov said, but it would be unlikely before 2003.
The WTO negotiation team, led by Medvedkov, will begin detailed work on the country's accession petition by February 2002. Approval of the final petition would take no less than a year, Medvedkov said.
Last month Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov ordered the Economic Development and Trade Ministry to develop a detailed analysis of the pros and cons of accession with the assistance of independent specialists. Medvedkov said the specialists would have about three months to complete the work because of the importance of the issue.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Kudrin has said that a realistic timeline is 2003 or 2004. "This is when we will be technologically ready to accede," Kudrin said last week.
"The number of favorable factors for joining the WTO is now maximal: economic growth ... and politically favorable relations after the Sept. 11 events," he said.By Torrey Clark:
