ID :
10273
Wed, 06/18/2008 - 14:55
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/10273
The shortlink copeid
Russian agriculture minister to hold consultations on joining WTO
GENEVA, June 18 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Agriculture Minister Alexei
Gordeyev will hold another round of consultations here Wednesday on the agrarian aspects of Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization.
The admissible levels of government support to the farming sector will
become the main topic of discussions with members of the Cairn Group that
embraces 18 countries.
Russia has made public its intention to render government assistance
to the farms in the amount of 9 billion U.S. dollars a year, which will
make it possible to carry out an efficient agricultural policy.
The problem however is that the Cairn Group proceeds from the formal
principles of joining the WTO - something that was stated during the
previous round of consultations April 23.
"This means it takes a representative period preceding a country's
accession to the WTO - the years from 2004 through 2006 in our case - when
it considers the levels of state support to national agricultural
producers," Gordeyev said.
"We said on our part we don't agree with it as the government support
to the Russian farming sector stood at 3.2 to 3.7 billion U.S. dollars
then and this is less than at the end of the 1990's," he said.
"We told them on our part that a program of state support to
agriculture has been adopted in Russia and it envisions allocations of 9
billion dollars to the sector by 2012," Gordeyev said. "That's important
for us and we'll implement this program."
He said the previous discussions had been acute but friendly and "the
partners asked us to present more materials on the programs of assistance
to agriculture.
"Russia has entered the final phase of joining the WTO and we must
complete the process, as our country will then be considered as a
civilized participant in global trade and economy," Gordeyev said.
"Time dictates to mankind that it should take a more serious approach
to the development of agriculture and to the solution of foodstuff
security issues," he said. "The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization
/FAO/ could play the role of a center where the strategy of global
agricultural policies will be worked out."
"All other international organizations, including the WTO should act
in accordance with the ideology of that strategy," Gordeyev said.
Gordeyev will hold another round of consultations here Wednesday on the agrarian aspects of Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization.
The admissible levels of government support to the farming sector will
become the main topic of discussions with members of the Cairn Group that
embraces 18 countries.
Russia has made public its intention to render government assistance
to the farms in the amount of 9 billion U.S. dollars a year, which will
make it possible to carry out an efficient agricultural policy.
The problem however is that the Cairn Group proceeds from the formal
principles of joining the WTO - something that was stated during the
previous round of consultations April 23.
"This means it takes a representative period preceding a country's
accession to the WTO - the years from 2004 through 2006 in our case - when
it considers the levels of state support to national agricultural
producers," Gordeyev said.
"We said on our part we don't agree with it as the government support
to the Russian farming sector stood at 3.2 to 3.7 billion U.S. dollars
then and this is less than at the end of the 1990's," he said.
"We told them on our part that a program of state support to
agriculture has been adopted in Russia and it envisions allocations of 9
billion dollars to the sector by 2012," Gordeyev said. "That's important
for us and we'll implement this program."
He said the previous discussions had been acute but friendly and "the
partners asked us to present more materials on the programs of assistance
to agriculture.
"Russia has entered the final phase of joining the WTO and we must
complete the process, as our country will then be considered as a
civilized participant in global trade and economy," Gordeyev said.
"Time dictates to mankind that it should take a more serious approach
to the development of agriculture and to the solution of foodstuff
security issues," he said. "The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization
/FAO/ could play the role of a center where the strategy of global
agricultural policies will be worked out."
"All other international organizations, including the WTO should act
in accordance with the ideology of that strategy," Gordeyev said.
