Russia Still Hopes To Join WTO By Year's End

German Gref (file photo) (ITAR-TASS) March 5, 2007 -- Russian Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref says Moscow still hopes to join the World Trade Organization this year.

Gref added, however, that he was "not sure" whether Russia will be able to "complete the accession process" in time.

Gref made his comments during a visit to Singapore. Gref was responding to criticism from EU and U.S. officials that Moscow was not fulfilling its WTO obligations quickly enough.

(Reuters)