MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) is being blocked by a number of countries, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday in an interview with Swiss media ahead of his visit to Bern.
Medvedev, who is expected to travel to Switzerland on September 21-22, accused the United States of blocking Moscow's WTO membership earlier this week.
"We wanted and still want to join the WTO. The fact that we are not in the WTO is a problem for the WTO itself and a number of countries blocking [our accession]," Medvedev said.
Russia is the world's only major economy not to be a member of the global trade body. Consent from all 153 WTO members is necessary for a state to join the organization.
He reiterated that Russia could become a member either in a customs union with Kazakhstan and Belarus, who have been seeking joint accession since June, or independently.
Commenting on the latter scenario, Medvedev said Russia would agree positions with both the ex-Soviet states, but each country "will enter [the WTO] at a different pace."
To date, Russia has completed mandatory bilateral negotiations with 60 countries, but has yet to synchronize positions on several issues, including agriculture, export duties for timber, and regulations of some state-controlled companies.
