. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(05)/ST/159 
17 December 2005 
 (05-6163) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Sixth Session Hong Kong, 13 - 18 December 2005 Original:   English 
 
  
RUSSIAN FEDERATION 
 
Statement by Mr Maxim Medvedkov
 
Director, Department of Trade Negotiations  
Ministry of Economic Development and Trade  
 
(Speaking as an Observer) 
  
 First of all, on behalf of the Russian de legation, I would like to express our sincere 
appreciation to the Hong Kong, China Governme nt for their warm hospitality and excellent 
organization of this important meeting.   The Hong Kong Ministerial Conference is an oppor tunity to take advantage of the emerging 
favourable trends in the global ec onomy and world trade.  Particip ants in the multilateral trading 
system should do their best to strengthen this positive dynamic and channel it to implementing 
development goals, promoting economic  growth and combating poverty. 
  In this context we express our full support to efforts of all parties of multilateral trade talks 
aimed at achieving substantive agreements within the Doha Development Round.  In our view, Hong 
Kong meeting has played an important role in term s of advancing this goal.   We remain convinced 
supporters of a balanced, and evolutionary approach to trade liberalization.   The progress achieved to date reflects both c onvergences and remaining differences of views 
among Member States on key issues of the negotiati ons.  But taking into account the substantial 
amount of work done by all the pa rties we believe that this Conf erence could bring the Doha Round 
forward and that even more productive resu lts will be achieved in the coming months. 
  We proceed from the point that Russia will soon become a full-fledged participant of the multilateral trade talks and will make a constructive c ontribution to the world trade liberalization.  As 
the Chair of the G-8 from 1 January 2006, the Russian Federation will do its best to promote 
ambitious and balanced resu lts of the Doha Round. 
  We agree that the Doha Round should facilitate  the full integration of developing countries 
and economies in transition into the world trade syst em.  We consider that the Round's final results 
should ensure a fair balance of interests and commitments among all Member States, including 
recently acceded countries.   Accession to the WTO is a priority objective of the economic strategy of the Russian Federation.  Our accession negotiations are getting clo se to their final stage.  We have done the major 
part of the work on bringing the Russian legisla tion in conformity with the WTO norms.  We have 
concluded bilateral negotiations w ith most participants of the Working Party on Russian Federation's 
accession to the WTO.  Our main efforts today ar e concentrated on finalizing the Working Party 
Report. WT/MIN(05)/ST/159 
Page 2  
 
  
 We are thankful to the WTO Director-Gener al, Mr Pascal Lamy, and his predecessors, the 
Secretariat as well as the Chairman and members of the Working Party for their contribution to this 
process.  
 We also appreciate the constant political suppor t of our APEC partners  and their contribution 
to translating this support into practical steps.   We would like to emphasize once again that the Russian Federation will undertake commitments which reflect the specific character and the actual level of development of its economy.  
We strongly believe that accession of new countri es to the WTO should not be used as a testing 
ground for ideas and concepts which are not yet part of the WTO.   In conclusion, we would like to congratula te the Governments of Saudi Arabia and Tonga 
with successful conclusion of their negotiations to join the WTO.  In that way one more important 
step has been made towards making the WTO a truly universal Organization.  We sincerely hope that 
the next enlargement of "the WTO family" is not far off.  
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