Russian President accuses EU of blocking Russia's accession to WTO

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, December 03, 2003

Russian President accuses EU of blocking Russia's accession to WTO

Russian President Vladimir Putin accused on Tuesday the European Union (EU) of blocking Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), describing the EU's requirements as "tough."

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Russian President Vladimir Putin accused on Tuesday the European Union (EU) of blocking Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), describing the EU's requirements as "tough."

"We are constantly hearing the EU's assurances of its support for Russia's accession to the WTO. But, in fact, we often unfortunately face excessively tough requirements, which are blocking Russia's entrance into the WTO," Putin told a meeting with Russian and EU business leaders in the Kremlin.

Russia, the largest economy still outside the WTO, has made eight years of efforts to join the organization.

The EU wants Russia to increase domestic oil and gas prices to the European average immediately as a condition for the country's entry into the WTO.

Putin said that Russia's lower energy prices "objectively" reflect Russia's natural competitive advantages and Russia does not intend to "give them up."

He suggested "looking for pragmatic, mutually advantageous models expanding the field for joint use of economic advantages, instead of engaging in deadlock trade disputes."

He expressed Russia's commitment to continuing to introduce "the market principles" in Russia's fuel and energy industry, saying that his country's differences with EU "involve only the speed and shape of these reforms."

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