Russia, the only major world economy still outside the WTO, has been in talks on joining the global trade body since 1995.
"As far as I see it, as soon as Russia joins the WTO, the organization will cease to operate, as it will lose its significance...both economic and political," Alexei Gordeyev said, adding that this "significance" involved opposition to other economic and political forces, including Russia.
He also said the WTO today was the headquarters of developed countries, "or to be precise, one well-known country, which rules everything and considers first of all its economic interests."
The minister described the WTO as a "hypocritical organization somewhat detrimental to the global economy."
He also criticized the organization for considering issues from an exclusively commercial viewpoint, while failing to take into account aspects of social importance.
Russia's top WTO negotiator Maxim Medvedkov announced last week the resumption of accession talks, after their collapse in late July over differences on a number of issues.
