Collusion with the U.S.: Medvedev says Russia certain to join WTO

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(RIA Novosti) - Russia's president said on Wednesday he has no doubt his country will join the World Trade Organization despite delays due to the establishment of a customs union with two other ex-Soviet states.

Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus agreed in early June to form a customs bloc. Its Customs Code will be presented for approval to the heads of the three states in November. Unified customs regulations are due to come into effect at the start of 2010.

"We will join the WTO despite certain delays caused by the establishment of the Customs Union. There can be no doubt about this," Dmitry Medvedev said during a meeting with the leaders of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

The three countries earlier announced that they would seek to join the WTO simultaneously, with a joint bid.

Russia's chief WTO negotiator, Maxim Medvedkov, said last week that the date of the next round of talks on joining the trade body would be made by chairmen of the three countries' working groups following consultations with the WTO members.

"We expect the decision to be made by the end of this year. The necessary materials will be submitted to the WTO in the next two or three weeks," he said.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said on Wednesday that Russian, Belarusian and Kazakh officials were expected to sign the Customs Code at a meeting of the EurAsEC State Council to be held in Minsk on November 27.