Rosnano CEO Anatoly Chubais on Thursday called for the finalization of the "endless" process of entering the World Trade Organization (WTO) as soon as possible.

Russia has been trying to enter the WTO since 1993, while the process normally takes other countries 5-7 years. In June 2009, the heads of Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan said they would join the WTO as a united customs territory. However, in October the same year, the three countries announced they would resume negotiations on joining the WTO separately, but on coordinated positions.

"It's time to finish, it's time to make a decision...it's time to come to the end," Chubais said.

He said only after entering the WTO, a base for agreements on partnership with the European Union could be created.

"We have become the world champions in duration of entering the WTO. We have amazed everybody [in this organization], even China...I can't draw any other example of an equally unsuccessful political process over the last ten years," Chubais said at the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg.

He criticized both domestic and foreign opponents of Russia's accession to the WTO and called them "people who want to see Russia as an outsider." He said discussions continue between "those who want to see Russia as a prosperous country and those against this."

ST. PETERSBURG, June 17 (RIA Novosti)