Russia’s Senior Deputy Prime minister Igor Shuvalov has told the Moscow-based newspaper Vedomosti that Russia is bent on joining the World Trade Organization. But, Shuvalov said, political bias keeps Western partners of Russia from wrapping up admission negotiations and welcoming Russia into that organization. Shuvalov urged the Western partners of Russia to draw a line between the World Trade Organization and politics. He accused them of the discriminatory treatment of Russian business companies.

Speaking at a news briefing in Moscow, Vladimir Golovnev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma’s Economic Policy Committee, said that artificial attempts to bar Russia form joining the WTO might well damage the global community’s economies. Vladimir Golovnev added that in the last 10 years, Russia has strictly adhered to all the obligations necessary for entering the WTO. According to Vladimir Golovnev, many such commitments are detrimental to a vast set of the national economy’s key industries, such as farming.