Russia hopes for U.S. help in getting admitted to WTO - deputy PM
WASHINGTON. Sept 21 (Interfax) - Russia's membership of the World Trade Organization remains the Russian government's unchanged ultimate goal, said First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov.
"We are ready to hold talks and accelerate Russia's accession to the WTO on the basis of a compromise," Shuvalov told experts of American think tanks at the Russian embassy in Washington.
"But this depends 99% on the American administration," he said. "If the U.S. objects, an obstacle will always be found to obstruct Russia's accession to the WTO," he said.
"Russia has been in talks on membership of the WTO for 16 years, although this issue could be resolved in weeks," he said.
"We do hope that this could be done with assistance from the current American administration," said Shuvalov.