Thread: U.S., Russia fail to agree on WTO membership

U.S., Russia fail to agree on WTO membership
U.S. remains only member not backing Russia's entry into economic group




** EDS RECROP OF RUSM106 ** U.S. President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush visits the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad, Friday, July 14, 2006 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The monument commemorates those who defended Leningrad during the 900-day siege by the Nazis in World War II. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
7:37 a.m. ET, 7/14/06



U.S. President George W. Bush, center, at a Roundtable with Civil Society at the Consul General's Residence, Friday, July 14, 2006 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Seating with Bush are Irina Yasina, center right, and U.S. Ambassador to Russia, William Burns, center left.
10:08 p.m. ET, 7/14/06

Updated: 6:29 a.m. ET July 15, 2006
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia - Negotiations on Russia’s admission to the World Trade Organization broke off with no agreement being reached, U.S. and Russian officials said Saturday.
The talks ended because of differences over assurances the United States was seeking over the protection of U.S. copyrights and patents and promises that Russia would accept greater amounts of U.S. farm goods.
President Bush, speaking at a joint news conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the deal could not be reached, despite intensive talks, because the administration believed Russia needed to offer more in trade concessions to satisfy the Congress.
“We’re tough negotiators and the reason why is because we want the agreement that we reach to (be) accepted by our U.S. Congress,” Bush said.He said both sides would continue to negotiate to get a deal. The United States is the only country that has yet to sign off on Russia’s membership in the WTO.
Bush blamed “false reporting” in the press for raising hopes that a deal could be reached. “Well, it was almost reached,” the president said. “There is more work to be done.”
Russian trade negotiator Maxim Medvedkov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying the deal would not be signed “either today or in coming weeks.”
Russian hopes dashed
The failure to reach an agreement dashed the hopes of Putin to burnish the first Group of Eight summit on Russian soil with an economic triumph his government has been seeking for years.
Russia, the largest economy to remain outside of the 149-nation WTO, sees membership as a way to demonstrate how far the country has come since its severe economic collapse in 1998.
Hopes for an agreement had been raised when U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab traveled to Moscow earlier this week for intensive negotiations with Russian Economic and Trade Minister German Gref.
The ITAR-Tass news agency quoted Medvedkov as saying that another stumbling block was an impasse over Russian tariffs on the sale of American airplanes. Russia has imposed high import tariffs for foreign planes as a way to protect its beleaguered aircraft industry.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13855682/

SINCE WHEN IS IT IMPORTANT FOR BUSH TO RUN ANYTHING THROUGH OUR CONGRESS?? THAT'S BS

SINCE WHEN IS IT IMPORTANT FOR BUSH TO RUN ANYTHING THROUGH OUR CONGRESS?? THAT'S BS

Stall tactic. Russia hass something to prove to the U.S. before we will vote to let them become a WTO member.