Russia says time to bring talks on WTO membership to top level

Talks between Moscow and Washington on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization should be raised to a top political level as negotiating experts have failed to agree on the issue, a Russian first vice-premier said on Wednesday.

Talks between Moscow and Washington on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization should be raised to a top political level as negotiating experts have failed to agree on the issue, a Russian first vice-premier said on Wednesday.

"The main disagreements existing with the United States remain at the same level," Igor Shuvalov said at a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

He said the disagreements have remained unresolved at the expert level and that talks need to go to a higher level.

"They (experts) have exhausted all their resources. The talks, with a focus on finding compromises, should be raised to the level of the political leadership," he said.

Shuvalov said he had discussed Russia's readiness to take more effective steps toward the resolution of existing disagreements with the U.S. during a visit to Washington in September 2009. However, he said, the U.S. partners have so far not met Russia's proposals.

Russia has been in negotiations to enter the WTO for over 16 years, and is the only major world economy not to have joined. Several former Soviet countries, and communist states such as China and Cuba, are already members.

In December, Kremlin economic adviser Arkady Dvorkovich said Russia expected to complete negotiations on its accession to the WTO in 2010.

In June 2009, the heads of governments of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus notified the WTO of their intention to join the world trade club as a customs union.

The three ex-Soviet republics suspended their bilateral negotiations on WTO entry to hold consultations on a common position on the customs union.

In October 2009, Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus announced they would resume talks on WTO accession separately, but on synchronized positions.

MOSCOW, January 27 (RIA Novosti)