MOSCOW, July 11 (RIA Novosti) - Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov said Tuesday that he expected Russia's negotiations with the United States on his country's accession to the World Trade Organization to be over this week.
"I hope we will complete negotiations with the Americans before the summit begins," he said, referring to talks between the Russian and U.S. presidents scheduled for Friday shortly before the G8 summit in St. Petersburg on July 15-17.
Russian Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab will hold WTO talks on July 12-13, a Russian ministry representative said.
The source said the two countries' experts were currently working on some unresolved issues regarding Russia's WTO bid, which would be the focus of Thursday's discussion between Gref and Schwab.
On July 9, Zhukov said Russia could complete bilateral talks with the U.S. on WTO accession before the G8 summit.
