Russia unlikely to join WTO in 2011: Russian minister

MOSCOW: Chances for Russia to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by the end of this year were very low, a Russian minister has said.

Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina said Friday Russia was “unlikely” to finish negotiations on WTO accession this year. The talks could still take years, she said.

“In my view, there is a very slight chance that we could finish the negotiations by the end of the year as we planned, but it still exists,” Xinhua quoted the minister as telling Interfax news agency.

Russia, which has been seeking WTO membership for some 18 years, is the largest economy remaining outside the global trade organisation.