Moscow expects talks on the simultaneous accession of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to be concluded in the near future, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

"The accession to the WTO remains our strategic goal. We are continuing to seek to join this organization on honest, open and parity conditions," Lavrov said.

Russia has been in negotiations to enter the WTO for over 16 years, and is the only major economy outside of the global trade body.

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

Four months later, the three former Soviet republics announced they would resume talks on WTO accession separately, but working from synchronized positions.

MOSCOW, March 10 (RIA Novosti)