The EU has partly lifted its objection to Russia joining the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at a summit on Tuesday (7 December), eight days before Russian courts give their verdict in the Khodorkhovsky trial in a process described by the US as “lipstick on a political pig.
The bilateral memorandum on the WTO to be signed at the summit in Brussels comes after Russia in November agreed to phase out tariffs on lumber and other raw materials. EU leaders are saying Russia could join the trade body in 2011. But other EU objections remain in the multilateral track of WTO talks, where Brussels wants Moscow to stop using phyto-sanitary rules to restrict imports and to improve intellectual property rights.
Brussels on Tuesday also told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev he has a long way to go on improving technical standards, such as passport and border security, before any deal on visa-free travel.
Read more on: euobserver.com/9/31442
