Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov sees no tragedy if Russia will not join the World Trade Organization before the end of the year.

Addressing reporters on the sidelines of the Finnish Business in Moscow forum on Tuesday, he aid that Russia had virtually completed its WTO accession talks with the European Union and the United States.

“The only remaining issue has to do with politics and not with trade. And this issue is Georgia,” the vice premier said. He added that if differences between Russia and Georgia were solved by year’s end, Russia would join the WTO, and if not, consultations would continue.

The WTO talks stretched for 17 years, he said. Finnish Minister for Europe and Foreign Trade Alexander Stubb, for his part, said that Russia’s accession to the WTO would be the best Christmas and New Year’s gift for modern trade.

October 25, 2011

Source: The Voice of Russia

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