Locke: Russia Might Join WTO Unilaterally

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said Wednesday that Russia has sent signals that it might still pursue a unilateral bid to join the World Trade Organization. However Russia quickly denied that, saying that it would join only together with two neighbors.

Russian Economy Minister Elvira Nabiullina “seems to have indicated” that the country is still interested in pursuing a “parallel track," Locke said after U.S.-Russian talks in Moscow. "We are still seeking clarification on this point, but we are still very hopeful, very eager and very supportive of Russia acceding to the WTO.”

Last month, Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin surprised the WTO by saying Russia would withdraw its bid for unilateral membership and seek to join the trade body together with Kazakhstan and Belarus as part of a customs union.

President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that Russia was "really tired" after 16 years of talks. U.S. officials have asserted that Russia was very close to joining the WTO, and that Russian accession as part of the customs union would very problematic. "According to most of the members of the WTO, that is just unworkable, unprecedented and would only delay matters," Locke said, referring to the customs union option.

Nabiullina told reporters that there was no change in Russian plans to join the WTO as part of the customs union. "It is already a decision that has been taken and we synchronize our actions together with Kazakhstan and Belarus, because the customs union will be launched already from January 1, 2010."

Contact Alan Field at afield@joc.com.