WTO to the New Year's table

Georgia changed its position on Russia's entry into the WTO with an uncompromising to a more flexible one. Under the pressure of Europe and the USA, and not out of respect for Russia, of course. That's just the question: will Moscow want to accept new conditions? However. For the first time in 17 years, “entry” is visible “light at the end of the tunnel”.

It seems that an epoch -making event is approaching - Russia is more closely close to joining the WTO. Georgia proposed to Moscow new conditions under which Tbilisi will agree to the accession of Russia to the World Trade Organization, reports The Wall Street Journal with reference to the Deputy Minister of Foreign Minister of Georgia Sergi Kapanadze. According to the publication on Tuesday, Tbilisi was visited by one of the Deputy Commissioner of the EU for foreign policy, Gunnar Wilkand. He handed over to the authorities of the republic a message in which Georgia needed to make the concessions of Russia, a source in Tbilisi told the publication. Europe threatened to let Russia into the WTO and without the consent of Georgia, but for the authorities of the republic this will become a political defeat.

Earlier, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that Russia could join the WTO and without the permission of disagreements with Georgia: “There is no need to hide behind the Georgian issue, accession to the WTO is possible without it.” So in Georgia there was a reason for excitement

Georgia has considered its position and now a compromise is proposed - at border points on the borders of Russia with Abkhazia and Southern Ossetia, international monitoring mode can be introduced. Earlier, Georgia insisted that these points are located on its territory (South Ossetia and Abkhazia Georgia, of course, officially does not admit), and demanded that Georgian border guards demand.

Georgian demands were unacceptable for Russia, since they were equivalent to the recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia by regions under Georgian sovereignty. And in 2008, Russia recognized them with independent states (though almost no one in the world more than it else in the world).

The compromise option is proposed and now the ball is on the side of Russia. It would seem that an extremely good option for Russia is proposed. Firstly, the Georgian barrier is being removed on the way to the World Trade Organization, and secondly, nothing essentially changes. However, Russia can be stubborn.

In the end, Dmitry Medvedev at a meeting with his supporters said that Russia could live without a WTO completely. True, the assistant Dmitry Medvedev Arkady Dvorkovich (he is also dealing with the issue of joining the WTO) yesterday stated that the entry into the WTO is still needed, although the negotiation process is difficult. “There is a forward movement, but so far insufficient. Nevertheless, we hope that it will be possible to find the necessary compromise. He is in the interests of both Russia and all our partners in world economics. If we do not join the WTO, it will be worse for everyone, ”he almost frightened the world economy.

Worse worse, the position is understandable, but Georgia recognized the possibility of a compromise under pressure from Europe and the USA, but does Russia recognize?

Georgia is the last obstacle that remains to overcome Russia for joining the WTO. If it succeeds, then Dmitry Medvedev will complete the many years of the government and the presidential administration Vladimir Putin and Boris Yeltsin. And his rule will be marked by something else, except for the same war with Georgia and a series of declared, but unfulfilled transformations. Still, a 17-year process is such a “political long-building”, it will be difficult to recall analogues of terms in domestic politics and economics.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Andrei Slepnev previously reported that Russia expects to complete the negotiations on joining the WTO in December. Thus, the process is possible (as they hope in the European Union) will be completed to the ministerial meeting, which will be held in Geneva on December 15-17.

However, in relation to Russia's entry into the WTO, the phrase “by the end of this year” acquires several ironic shade.

For several years, starting from the mid-2000s, the head of Mart, Gref, who oversaw the entry process once every few months, and sometimes more often stated that Russia hopes to complete negotiations on the entry into the WTO until the end of this year. The year passed and the deadline was extended for another year. So “by the end of this year” - this still needs to be tried.