MOSCOW, June 1 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organisation was organised in an unprecedentedly open manner for negotiations of the kind, Maxim Medvedkov, Head of the department of trade negotiations at the Ministry of Economic Development, told the parliamentary hearings on Friday.
“Any Russian, beginning from 2000, could at any time receive information on negotiations on any issues,” he said. at the same time, Medvedkov stressed since “we are dealing with rather big legal documents,” not all texts and obligations may be clear for those who are not specialists.
“Thus, we have many myths about WTO – practically like it was in Ancient Greece,” he continued. “This originates from the fact that we are not always reading our obligations correctly.” He suggested everyone interested should verify a problem with the ministry before making any conclusions.
“Our obligations under the WTO have nothing to do with growth of prices, for example, on energy resources,” he said. “WTO does not make us ban subsidies or any other forms of state support we have been using. WTO does not open the Russain labour market. WTO is not in the way of our social policy in the forms we believe necessary. WTO does not stop us from introducing limitations for regulation of economic activities in this country. And, finally, it does not forbid us to stop the food and goods we consider harmful.”