Working group meeting on RF's joining WTO due in Nov - Medvedkov.

GENEVA (Itar-Tass) - The final meeting of the Working group
on Russia's joining the World Trade Organisation is scheduled for November
10-11, Head of the Russian delegation at the talks on joining the WTO,
Head of Russia's Ministry of Economic Development's department of trade
negotiations Maxim Medvedkov said commenting on another two-day round of
informal consultations.
Position of Stefan Johannesson, chairman of the WTO's working group on
Russia's membership bid, is that "it is necessary to expect a technical
opportunity of finalising the joining /of Russia to the WTO/ before the
yearend, Medvedkov said. "He urged all the countries to be most active and
to follow the scheduled offered."
The explained the schedule offered as follows: in mid September there
will be several meetings to agree on two outstanding updated articles of
the working group's report regarding veterinary and phyto-sanitary
measures as well as investment measures in trade. By mid October,
verification of Russia's goods' obligations should be finalised. On
October 24, there will be a final informal meeting of the working group.
On November 10-11, the working group will have its final formal meeting,
Medvedkov explained. The scheduled is put together so that to finalise all
the talks by the meeting of the WTO General Council due on December 14-16.
"This is a technical plan, and we shall work to follow it," he assured.
Presently, the WTO unites 153 countries with 95 percent of the world
trade turnover. Russia filed its application to join the organisation in
1994. In second half of 2010, the Russian Federation brisked up its
negotiation efforts, for example by finalising its negotiations with the USA and EU.