Russian-EU summit holds talks on Russian membership in WTO

The Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has arrived in Brussels where he
will take part in the Russian-EU summit. He will meet King Albert II
on Wednesday and will have talks with the Prime Minister Yves Leterme,
RIA Novosti reports.

The 26th Russian-EU summit will have negotiations on visa-free regime
between Russia and the EU countries, Russian membership in the World
Trade Organization (WTO), energy security, new visa agreements and
coping with the global economic recession.

Special attention will be paid to the 'Partnership for Modernization'
initiative which aims at improving ties between Russia and the EU. The
summit's schedule also has discussions of the global climate change,
energy security agreement, international problems related to the
situation in the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear program. The
sides will exchange views on the Korean Peninsula as well.

Russia and EU had signed a memorandum on mutual understanding earlier,
which concluded the bilateral talks on Russian membership in the WTO.
The Minister of Economic Development Elvira Nabiulina and the EU
Commissioner for Trade Karel de Gucht signed the document. The
memorandum contains agreements on settling the Russian obligations for
the WTO, including export rates and railroad rates.

Russia has been trying to join the WTO since 1993, an international
organization for liberalization of the world trade. It has over 150
members. The membership negotiations usually take 5-6 years.
President of the EU Commission Jose Manuel Barroso said that EU
supports the Russian will to join the WTO in 2011. Alexey Kudrin,
Russian Vice-Premier and Finances Minister, noted that Russia has
never been 'so close' to joining the WTO. Earlier this year, Russia
had concluded talks with the USA on joining the organization.