The G8 countries completely support Russia’s WTO bid and see no impediments to it, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Friday.
“We take a positive view of Russia’s WTO admission. At any rate partnership between Russia, France and Europe has greatly intensified lately,” Sarkozy said.
“There are no reasons for us to impede or veto Russia’s admission to the WTO,” he said.
Russia has been in membership talks with the 153-nation WTO for 17 years and remains the only major economy still outside the organization. The European Union gave its formal backing to the country’s entry bid in December last year after Russia agreed to trim timber export duties and rail freight tariffs.
Sarkozy’s remarks come amid media reports that the United States and France have asked Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to make an exile offer to Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi in an effort to persuade him to leave the country.
MOSCOW, May 27 (RIA Novosti)