WASHINGTON — The United States welcomes Russia’s renewed interest in joining the World Trade Organization, but progress depends on Moscow’s “dedication” to achieving that goal, U.S. trade officials said.
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk’s office issued the statement after a meeting between Kirk and First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov on Monday.
“Ambassador Kirk welcomed the prospect of renewed engagement with Russia on its WTO accession negotiations following a period of uncertainty regarding Russia’s intentions,” the statement said.
“However, he again noted that progress in these multilateral negotiations has always depended and will still depend on Russia’s dedication and work toward that end,” it said.
Russia is the only member of the Group of 20 major developed and developing economies meeting this week in Pittsburgh that is not a member of the WTO. It accounts for about half of the 4 percent of world trade not governed by WTO rules.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin threw Russia’s WTO bid into confusion by saying the country would only join as part of a customs union with former Soviet republics Kazakhstan and Belarus.
WTO Director General Pascal Lamy said at the time it was unclear whether the rules would allow that and predicted “serious legal poker” before the issue was resolved.
That was the latest setback for Russia’s long-running bid, which Western powers put on hold in late 2008 after the brief war between Russia and Georgia.
Shuvalov told reporters at a briefing Monday at Russia’s embassy in Washington that the United States had been a major obstacle to Russia’s completing its bid.
“Something always happens which changes the American position,” Shuvalov said.
“When you talk with [other negotiators] in Geneva, they always say that 99 percent depends on the American administration. If the American administration wants Russia to be in the WTO, it’s two to three months work and everything is done,” Shuvalov said.
He said he had come to Washington with proposals for resolving four remaining issues blocking its WTO bid.
They include U.S. concerns about enforcement of intellectual property rights and access for its meat exports, he said.
Those could be finalized “very quickly, maybe a few weeks,” but “it can be done only with the help and assistance of the American administration,” he said.
“We are flexible, just let us in,” Shuvalov said, adding Russia’s plan to join a customs union with Kazakhstan and Belarus should not be a reason to block its entry.
Kirk reaffirmed on Monday that the United States supported “Russia’s individual accession to the WTO and will continue to provide constructive support to achieve that goal,” the trade office statement said.
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