"We would like to complete talks on access to markets, maybe not with all, but with almost all [WTO] member states before the end of this year, and we don't rule out that the entire accession procedure will be over and done with by the end of the next year or a year later," Medvedkov said to the media.
According to him, Russia is in the final stage of the WTO accession process, which has been going on for over a decade now.
"It is hard for me to predict when it [the process] will end-next year or later-this doesn't depend on us only. We have not yet completed talks with all the member states, but we are optimistic about the prospects for completing this task," the Russian negotiator said.
Russia has by now completed talks on access to merchandise markets with eleven of the World Trade Organization's member states, including the European Union, Paraguay, New Zealand, Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Georgia and Oman. Within two or three months, it hopes to complete negotiations on merchandise with another six members. Russia's talks on access to services markets have been brought to a close with two WTO member states (the EU and Hungary), and are ongoing with twenty-five others.
"With most of these members, a limited number of issues are left on the table, such as access to the market of financial and telecommunications services and access to energy-related services," Medvedkov said.
According to him, the most "painful" issues as to the goods markets include agriculture, airplanes, and customs duties on cars, textiles and clothing.
The next round of bilateral talks with WTO members, including the United States, is to take place in autumn, Medvedkov said.
The Working Group for Russia's WTO Accession concluded the discussion of a second version of the final report in Geneva last Friday. It will gather for its next session in late October or early November this year. By that time, the Economic Development and Trade Ministry and the WTO Secretariat will have prepared a third version of the final report on Russia's entry into the organization.
