Russia has declined Georgian demands to postpone the session on WTO membership on November 10. Moscow and Tbilisi were urged to resolve all disputes by the time the session is due to start, the representative of Russia at the talks, Maksim Medvedkov, told Interfax.
Geneva hosted the final round of informal consultations on Russia joining the WTO yesterday. The only formal session is to be held on November 10.
Georgia is the only WTO member not to permit Russia to join the organization. Tbilisi demands international control over checkpoints on the Russian-Georgian borders of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. WTO membership requires a unanimous vote. It can theoretically be approved by a majority vote, but such decisions have never been made yet.
