"The general situation at the talks gives us hope that work will be completed on the working group's report in the fall," the representative said.
Russian authorities earlier said negotiations may be completed in the summer and that Russia could join the global trade body by the end of 2008. Last week, the working group on Russia's bid to join the WTO read out a new wording of its draft report on Russia's trade regime and commitments. This report is expected to form the basis of the final document on Russia's WTO accession.
The EU commissioner for trade said on June 19 that Russia would become a WTO member by November 2009, and could complete talks on its accession to the global trade organization later this year.
Peter Mandelson said that while Russia had already concluded 90% of the negotiations necessary for WTO accession, it still had a number of issues to settle.
Georgia, which became a WTO member in 2000, is threatening to block Russia's accession to the WTO unless Moscow halts support for its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Maxim Medvedkov, Russia's chief negotiator for accession to the WTO, said last week that no talks had yet been scheduled with the ex-Soviet republic.
Russia, the only major economy outside the WTO, has been seeking membership in the organization since 1993.
