Moscow says WTO talks may be behind uncertainty about RF-EU summit date

MOSCOW, September 8 (Itar-Tass) -- Moscow says the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) accession talks may be the reason for uncertainty about the date of the next Russian-EU summit.
A high-ranking official at the Russian Foreign Ministry denied reports claiming that Moscow has suggested postponing the summit scheduled for December because of the upcoming elections to the State Duma.
"We have no intention of delaying anything. We expect them to name the date and give confirmation because the next summit should take place in Brussels and we cannot propose the date ourselves," the official said.
"I do not rule out that uncertainty is connected with the fate of our WTO talks. Visa free travel and Russia's accession to the WTO remain the main" items on the agenda of the upcoming summit, the diplomat said.
"So far the EU has not offered any date. But this is not related to any wish on the part of Russia. This is a technical thing that happens twice a year," he said,
The diplomat noted that Moscow does not know "even the approximate
date" for the summit.