WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  RESTRICTED 
WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
20 April 2012 
 (12-2101) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Eighth Session Geneva, 15 - 17 December 2011  
 
  
SUMMARY RECORD OF THE THIRD MEETING 
 
Held at the Geneva International Confer ence Centre (CICG), Geneva, Switzerland 
on Friday, 16 December, at 3.30 p.m. 
 
 Chairperson:  His Excellency Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga (Nigeria)  
  1. Action by Ministers (Agenda Item 2) - Accession of the Russian Federation 
1. The Chairman called the meeting to order and welcomed the First Deputy Prime Minister of 
the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr Igor Shuval ov, the Minister of Economic Development, 
H.E. Ms Elvira Nabiullina, and the entirety of th e Delegation of the Russian Federation.  He also 
welcomed the President of the Swiss Confederation, H.E. Ms Micheline Calmy-Rey.  He recalled that, 
on 10 November 2011, the Working Party on the Accession of the Russian Federation had adopted ad 
referendum  the Draft Accession Package.  The Work ing Party had agreed to transmit its 
recommendation on its Report to the Eighth Ministeria l Conference for formal action by Ministers. 
The Report of the Working Party was now befo re the Ministerial Conference in documents 
WT/MIN(11)/2  and Addenda 1 and 2. 
2. Ambassador Stefán Jóhannesson (Iceland), Chai rman of the Working Party on the Accession 
of the Russian Federation, reporting on the Workin g Party process, which he had chaired since 2003, 
and the Accession package of the Russian Federation, sai d that this was an historic day.  He recalled 
that the accession process of the Russian Federation had taken eighteen years.  The first meeting of the Working Party had been held on 17-19 July  1995 under the Chairmanship of Ambassador W. 
Rossier (Switzerland), who was then succeeded by Ambassador K. Bryn (Norway).   
3. He recalled that, since 2006, the accession of the Russian Federation had evolved through 
informal consultations.  The Working Party had held  31 formal meetings and he had chaired five of 
these, including the final Working Party on 10 Nove mber 2011.  He further recalled that the accession 
negotiations of the Russian Federation had gain ed new momentum from May 2010.  The acceding 
government had worked intensively with Members to bring the process to a successful conclusion.  
He stressed that, while many delegations had contributed through their knowledge, expertise and 
experience, all Members had contributed by constr ucting the consensus that was necessary to finalize 
the negotiations and produce the accession package th at was before the Ministerial Conference for 
adoption.  As Mr Maxim Medvedkov, the accession Chie f negotiator, had stated at the final formal 
meeting of the Working Party on 10 November "the Accession of the Russian Federation has many parents".  This was per se  a tribute to the WTO as an organization.  As Chairman of the Working 
Party, he had had the privilege to witness from a unique vantage point the hard work and solid 
partnership between Members and the Russian Fede ration with the tireless professional support of the 
WTO Secretariat.  He had received useful and timely guidance from Members, the trust of the acceding Government and technical support from the Secretariat and he stressed that it would be impossible to thank each and every one.  He noted that  the starting point for any tribute had to be the WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
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political leadership of the Russian Federation.  On e clear lesson that had emerged over the years on 
WTO accession was that no accession process coul d be concluded without sustained political 
leadership at the highest leve l of the acceding government.  The government of the Russian 
Federation had worked hard to respond to the cha llenges and complexity of WTO accession.  In the 
final stages, it had responded promptly to requests by Members.  It had persevered, so that the 
Working Party could conclude its mandate on 10 Nove mber.  He therefore wished to pay particular 
tribute to the team of the Russian Federation led by Mr Medvedkov.   
4. He also wished to pay tribute to all Memb ers for their efforts, goodwill and spirit of 
compromise, especially evident during the final stages  of the accession process.  While aware of the 
risks of specialized tributes, he also wished to pa y sincere tribute for the ex traordinary technical and 
political push from the delegations of the European Un ion and the United States.  In doing so, he was 
also very grateful for the summit and high level support received at critical moments from the G8, the Cairns Group, APEC, BRICS and the G20.  Gratitude  was owed to the Government of Switzerland 
that had mediated during the bilateral negotiati ons between the Government of Georgia and the 
Government of the Russian Federation, which had en abled the Working Party to conclude its mandate 
on 10 November and had upheld the foundation prin ciple of consensus decision-making in the WTO.  
He also expressed appreciation to the Government of Georgia and the Government of the Russian 
Federation for their cooperative and constructive engagement in the b ilateral negotiations mediated by 
the Government of Switzerland.  He thanked the WTO Director-General for his leadership and his 
guidance and said that the role of the Secretaria t had been solid, professional and outstanding.  
Therefore, his warmest gratitude went to Mr Chie du Osakwe and his team in the Accession Division 
and his predecessor, Mr Arif Hussein and his team. 
5. A vital lesson from the accession of the Russian Fe deration was that to conclude negotiations 
in the rules-based multilateral trading system, as soon as the negotiating objective was set, the 
technical and political machinery had to work in ta ndem and sustained energy had to be invested. The 
documents before the Ministerial Conference r esulted from the tough but successful engagement 
between Members and the Russian Federation and c onstituted the terms of the entry of the Russian 
Federation into the WTO.  The Report of the Wo rking Party had been circulated in document 
WT/MIN(11)/2.  The Schedules of concessions a nd commitments in goods were contained in 
document WT/MIN(11)/2/Add.1 and the Schedules of specific commitments in services were 
contained in document WT/MIN(11)/2/Add.2. 
6. As Ministers were aware, the 18-year nego tiations of the Russian Federation had been 
conducted in English.  On 10 November, at the final formal Working Party meeting, the Russian 
Federation Accession Package had been adopted in its English version.  In a dopting the Report of the 
Working Party on the Accession of the Russian Federation, it had been understood that only the Protocol on the Accession of the Russian Federation was authentic in the th ree official  languages, 
while the Report of the Working Party on the A ccession of the Russian Federation and Schedules 
were authentic in English only.  The French and Sp anish versions had been distributed to Members on 
17 November.  However, there were translation errors that the Secretariat had brought to his attention.  
A strictly technical Secretariat process was underw ay to effect the necessary corrections to be 
included in a revision of the French and Spanish versions as soon as possible. 
7. The accession package had been adopted ad referendum  by the Working Party at its meeting 
on 10 November.  By this action, the Working Part y had successfully completed its mandate and had 
forwarded its report and recommendations to the Mi nisterial Conference for decision.  The appendix 
to the Report reproduced the draft decision for the Ministerial Conference and the Protocol for the 
Accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO. In  his capacity as Chairman of the Working Party, 
he recommended the report of the Working Party on the Accession of the Russian Federation as well 
as the Draft Decision and Protocol of Accession for approval by the Ministerial Conference.    WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
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  8. The Chairman thanked Ambassador Jóhann esson for having served as Chairman of the 
Working Party and extended the Ministerial Conferen ce's appreciation to the two previous Chairmen, 
namely, H.E. Mr William Rossier (Switzerland) an d H.E. Mr Kåre Bryn (Norway) for guiding the 
Working Party in earlier years.   
9. Before taking up the accession package of the Ru ssian Federation, he stated the following for 
note by the Ministerial Conference: "In adopting the Decision on the Accession of the Russian 
Federation, it is understood that only the Protoc ol on the Accession of the Russian Federation is 
authentic in the three official WTO languages,  while the Report of the Working Party on the 
Accession of the Russian Federation and Sc hedules are authentic in English only." 
10. The Ministerial Conference then approved the Draft Protocol on the Accession of the Russian 
Federation as contained in the Report of the Wo rking Party and in accord ance with the Decision-
Making Procedures under Articles IX and XII of the WTO Agreement agreed in November 1995 
(WT/L/93), adopted the draft Decision on the Accessi on of the Russian Federation as contained in the 
Report of the Working Party.1  The Ministerial Conference then adopted the report of the Working 
Party in documents WT/MIN(11) /2  and Addenda 1 and 2. 
11. The Chairman extended his congratulations to H.E. Mr Igor Shuvalov, First Deputy Prime 
Minister, and H.E. Ms Elvira Nabiullina, Mini ster of Economic Development of the Russian 
Federation and her entire team, and to all the people and Government of the Russian Federation on the 
successful completion of the WTO process.  In terms of the next steps, he informed the Ministerial 
Conference that the ceremony for the signature of th e Protocol of Accession of the Russian Federation 
by the Director-General, Mr Pascal Lamy, and H.E.  Ms Nabiullina would take place after the present 
session.  The Government of the Russian Federation would then submit the Protocol for ratification 
by its legislative assembly.  In keeping with WT O provisions, the Russian Federation would become a 
Member of the WTO thirty days following the date of its ratification of the Protocol. 
12. H.E. Ms Elvira Nabiullina, Minister of Ec onomic Development of the Russian Federation, 
speaking as an observer, said that the decision on the accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO 
was an event that had been expected for many year s, both in Russia and in the world.  Her country 
had been preparing for this day for a long time:  it had conducted systemic reforms, changed its 
legislation and launched a program  of modernization of its economy.  Russia was the sixth world 
economy acceding the WTO, and with its accession the rules of the Organisation would regulate about 97 per cent of world trade.  The world economy was not in its best shape at the present time and in times like these, there were always risks of increase in protectionism. By acceding to the WTO, 
Russia was ready to actively counter act such risks.  These were th e reasons why, for Russia, the 
conclusion of negotiations was not a finish line – it was a start. 
13. She stressed that Russia's work in the WTO would be aimed at supporting the existing rules 
of trade, as well as at the development of new princi ples that would be adequate to modern challenges 
and interests of global growth. Russia also shared the aim of the Organisation of supporting the most 
vulnerable economies.  She said that her country w ould treat with respect the arrangements already 
reached with respect to the Doha Agenda.  The role  of Russia in the WTO would be of a constructive 
nature and of consolidating the Organisation – fo r the benefit of economies and nations.  For her 
country it was highly important to maintain the stat us of WTO as a trade organization. The difficulties 
in the relations between States had existed, still exit ed and would, unfortunately, continue to exist. 
However, development of trade could really help to  resolve them. She said that her country aimed at 
progressive, consistent liberalization not only at the global level, but also at the regional one. 
                                                      
1 The Decision, as well as the text of the Protocol on Accession, was subsequently circulated in 
document WT/L/839. WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
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14. She further said that Russia was pleased that  its accession to the WTO was accompanied by 
the creation of a Common Economic Space with its  neighbours – Kazakhsta n and Belarus.  The 
Customs Union, which had been created on the basis of WTO rules, would further contribute to the 
elimination of barriers to trade and investments. WTO Members would gain access to the market of 165 million people, which was functioning already on the basis of unified rules.   
15. She stressed that the event had become possible due to the coll ective efforts of many people, 
and that most of them were present in the room. She agreed with the opinion of many of her colleagues that Russia's accession was an impo rtant confirmation of the credibility of the 
Organization. In a sense, the event was a common ac hievement, a common victory.  Russian leaders 
had always considered WTO membership as one of the priorities of Russian economic policy.  She 
was therefore particularly pleased to pass the fl oor to the First Deputy Prime Minister of the 
Government, Mr Igor Shuvalov, who had a special  message from the Pres ident of the Russian 
Federation. 
16. H.E. Mr Igor Shuvalov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, speaking as 
an observer, said that it had been a difficult day a nd many people's landings had been delayed because 
of a very strong storm.  He hoped that the day and the storm were a sign of a wind of change – change 
for better.  He had the honour to deliver the letter of the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry 
Medvedev, who had done a lot to finalize the negotiations and to make this a reality.  
"Distinguished Ministers, Distinguished Direct or-General: Within the framework of the 8th 
WTO Ministerial Conference you have approved a decision on Russia's accession to the WTO. This result of long and complex nego tiations is favourable both for Russia and our 
future partners. I thank all the participants in these negotiations for achieving this important 
result.  This Conference is being held at a cr ucial moment for the world economy. Today, it is 
important to prevent local and regional crisis  developments from turning into a global 
phenomenon. It is important to continue to ma ke steps towards liberalization of the economy 
on the basis of clear and universally applied ru les. It is important to develop a fair and 
efficient trade system, to strengthen multilatera l international institutions.  I am convinced 
that WTO's powerful potential will contribute to solving these issues and, on the whole, will 
be conducive to securing international economic st ability. Russia stands ready to contribute to 
this work to the maximum.  I wish y ou every success and the best of everything." 
17. The Director-General said that this was a hist oric moment for the Russian Federation and the 
rules-based multilateral trading system.  After an 18- year marathon, the finish line had been crossed:  
the last sprint was a very tough moment, but cro ssing the finishing line was the best moment.  The 
"finish" was celebrated by several parties: the runne r, the team, the competitors and the audience.  As 
the finish line was crossed, attention needed to turn to the future to the implementation of the 
commitments undertaken.   The pack age that had just been adopted was the result of hard technical 
work, led by a modernizing political leadership.  It  was the most recent evidence of the ability of 
Members to converge and to preserve a basic princi ple of the WTO: decision-making by consensus. 
He also stressed that the accession of the Russian  Federation to the WTO was a win-win deal that 
would cement its integration into the global econo my and bring greater certainty and stability to 
business operators and trading partners.  It was a contribution to the rule of trade law, which 
strengthened and opened new trade opportunities a nd accorded the WTO "quality label" to the 
Russian Federation.  He further highlighted th at Russia's accession was also good for the multilateral 
system as a whole.  With this accession, the WTO would cover 97 per cent of world trade and was 
rapidly approaching universality in the coverage of global trade.   
18. He wished to pay tribute to Minister Nabiu llina and her team of accession negotiators, led by 
Mr Maxim Medvedkov, for their commitment to successfully concluding the process of WTO 
accession.  They had worked closely with Members and proved that sustained technical work, with 
committed political leadership, yielded tangible resu lts.  The accession of the Russian Federation was  WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
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  a concrete sign of confidence in the Organization an d the multilateral trading system and he therefore 
also wished to express appreciation to the entire me mbership for its ability to work together, build 
consensus, and "deliver" on the accession of the Russi an Federation. In part icular, he thanked the 
Swiss President, Ms Micheline Calmy-Rey, for he r mediation efforts between Russia and Georgia. 
Finally, he thanked the Chairman of the Worki ng Party, without whose perseverance, patience and 
able steer this would not have happened and the Secr etariat team led by Chiedu Osakwe and the very 
large team of staff who had worked hard to make this come true. He said that he counted on the 
Russian Federation to exercise leadership and to b ecome an active player of the WTO and extended a 
warm welcome to the WTO to the Government and the People of the Russian Federation.   
19. All delegations that spoke warmly welcomed the accession of the Russian Federation to the 
WTO.  Delegations congratulated the Government  of the Russian Federation as well as other WTO 
Members for this historical achievement. Dele gations also commended the hard work of the 
negotiating team, the support of the WTO Secretaria t and the efforts of the Working Party led by 
Ambassador Stéfan Jóhannesson.  
20. Ms Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Swiss Confederation, said that this was a 
wonderful step for the Russian Federation and the WT O as a whole.  She wished in particular to 
congratulate the Russian Federation and Georgia fo r their constructiveness in the course of the 
mediation that Switzerland facilitated.  Without that  attitude, this moment w ould have not happened.  
The agreement between the two countries was also due  to the support by the international community 
within the WTO.  She recalled that it was in J une 1993 that Russia had filed its application for 
membership.  After some years of efforts, Switzerland had agreed to act as mediator, being well aware 
that it seemed like an impossible mi ssion.  It was a matter of trying to look at trade flows between 
Russia and Georgia in a neutral fashion. She noted  that the agreement between the two countries 
talked about "corridors", not borders, and that it referred to monitoring and dispute settlement.  In 
other words, this agreement reflected the interests of both parties and it was therefore a good one.  The long expected conclusion of the accession proces s was of fundamental importance to the Russian 
Federation and its economy.  The entry into the WTO would diversify Russia's economy and enhance 
its growth and competitiveness.  By acceding to th e WTO, the Russian Federation was joining the 
multilateral trading system and accepting its rules, a nd was therefore contributing to a more balanced 
world trade system. This was also a way of ensuring  confidence, which was pa rticularly important in 
times of crises.  It had taken some time to achieve  this result, and the lengt h of these negotiations was 
inherent to the WTO and its accession process.  All ca ndidates had their situation carefully considered 
by the Working Parties, including their trade policy,  to ensure that their domestic measures were open 
and fair.  The accession of the Russian Federation meant that the country recognized the multilateral 
system and its rules.  This was an indication of  how significant the WTO w as to the international 
community.  The conclusion of this lengthy pro cess showed that 153 Members could reach agreement 
and was a sign that one should persevere when it came to reaching agreement.  She said that 
Switzerland was happy to have had the opportunity  to make a contribution to these negotiations. 
21. The representative of the United States said th at the decision on the accession of the Russian 
Federation to the WTO represented the culmination of a long process and was a moment of great 
significance for the institution.  He noted that Pr esident Obama had established the conclusion of the 
negotiations on Russia's accession as a major priority  for the US' relationship with Russia.  The 
President and the entire US administration were therefore delighted to celebrate with Russia this 
major achievement.  This was an accomplishm ent that would truly make the organization a world  
trade organization and was the result of hard work a nd dedication.  He wished to express gratitude to 
the President of the Swiss Confederation for th e exceptional efforts to work with the Russian 
Federation and the Republic of Georgia to bring a cr itical element of the process to a good conclusion. 
He wished to thank, inter alia , Minister Nabiullina and her entire team for the extraordinary time, 
patience and political leadership, including the Firs t Deputy Prime Minister Mr Igor Shuvalov for the 
commitment and recognition of the importance of Ru ssia's full integration into the international WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
Page 6  
 
economic system.  For the US, this was an important  milestone for its relationship with the Russian 
Federation and advanced President Obama's determination to extend th is bilateral relationship, which 
had always been dominated by political and security affairs, to an economic dimension.  Simply put, 
Russia's accession to the WTO was good for Russia, fo r the United States and for all Members of the 
WTO.  Russia's market access commitments and the steps it had committed to take with regard to 
improving its intellectual property rights, inform ation technology, SPS, transparency and other 
measures and disciplines would create a new and stronger basis for conducting trade relationship 
between all countries.  Accession also advanced Ru ssia's own objectives in terms of diversifying and 
modernizing its economy and integrating it into the global economy. Russia was growing, and its 
WTO membership would help to facilitate and enha nce that growth.  For the WTO as an institution, 
the decision clearly represented an important step fo rward:  everyone could be confident that the 
thoroughness of the accession negotiations laid a so lid and sound foundation for collaboration with 
the Russian Federation as a Member of the WTO.  The decision was a great cause for celebration as 
the institution was made fundamentally more complete .  On behalf of President Obama, the entire 
United States delegation offered the deepest appreci ation for the dedication of Russia's leaders and 
negotiators in making this day possible. 
22. The representative of the European Union said that  this was an historic occasion, not only for 
Russia, but also for the EU as its major trading part ner and for the rest of the WTO Members.  These 
had been very long and challenging negotiations , which had required a great deal of resolve, 
understanding and flexibility from all partners.  Fo remost, they had required a firm commitment from 
the Russian government to complete this journey.   The Decision taken was closing a chapter and 
opening a new one:  that of Russia as an importa nt partner in the institution for world economic 
integration. He noted that the EU had high expect ations from Russia as a responsible partner ready to 
respect the rules, implement its multilateral oblig ations, and cooperate in  developing the WTO 
system, from the very beginning of its WTO membership.  For the EU, the completion of this 18 year-long process opened new opportunities to deepen its b ilateral economic co-operation with Russia.  He 
recalled that Russia had until mid-2012 to ratify the tr eaty.  Big efforts had been made to align the 
trade regime of Russia, as well as of its Customs Union with Kazakhstan and Be larus, to international 
standards.  It was the EU's hope that from now a nd until when it formally became a Member, Russia 
would not take any trade measures which would cons titute a backwards step compared to the present 
conditions.  The EU wished to encourage Russi a to use the coming months to complete the 
liberalization work that had been started so that, on the day of the formal accession, Russia would be 
in a position to show full compliance with the commi tments undertaken.  He was confident that the 
reforms undertaken would serve as a catalyst to accelerate the accession processes of Kazakhstan and 
of other neighbouring countries.   
23. The representative of India noted that his c ountry had long been a strong and consistent 
advocate of the accession of the Russian Federati on to the WTO.  This accession would send a clear 
and positive signal about the credibility of the WTO as an open, inclusive and rules-based 
organization, and would contribute immeasurably to  the strengthening and reinforcement of the 
multilateral trading system, therefore making the WTO a more universal organization. Russia's WTO membership and its integration into the interna tional economic system would undoubtedly open huge 
opportunities for expanding trade and would benefit not only Russia but also its trading partners 
through enhanced market access, improved efficien cy and competitiveness.  India was happy to note 
that the commitments reflected in the accession package provided meaningful market access and 
assurances that the Russian Federation was ready to ab ide by WTO rules.  He recalled that Russia had 
gone through an arduous process of negotiations in the run up to its accession which had tested the 
patience and flexibility of all concerned. India sh ared a historic relationship with the Russian 
Federation based on mutual trust, respect, friendshi p and cooperation. This had been consolidated 
through a special and privileged partnership whic h embraced all areas of bilateral cooperation. This 
partnership had been marked by close coordinatio n on a wide range of in ternational and regional 
issues, large scale trade and economic interaction i nvolving modernization and transfer of technology. 
India was also a close partner of Russia under the BRICS umbrella, which was an important pillar in  WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
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  the emerging multi-polar world order.  India therefore looked forward to continuing to work closely 
with the Russian Federation in the WTO on issues of common interest. 
24. The representative of Japan said that as a neighbouring country in the Asia-Pacific region 
having always supported the accession of the Russian  Federation, Japan wholeheartedly welcomed 
this accession after 18 years of negotiations.  He  extended his country's appreciation to those 
Members that had made outstanding contributions to  this accession, particularly Iceland, Switzerland 
and Georgia. Japan was convinced that the accession of Russia, one of the major economic powers in 
the world, would have a strong, positive impact  on the still struggling world economy, by further 
expanding trade and investment.  This accession would also significantly contribute to the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region, the growth ce ntre of the world. He stressed that in the Asia-
Pacific region, APEC had been playing a vital role  in realising free and open trade and investment.  
The following year, Russia would host APEC for the first time and Japan was looking forward to seeing the great role that Russia would carry out as APEC host economy in addressing successfully new challenges surrounding this dynamic economic cen tre of the world.  Japan believed that the 
Russian trading system's compliance with WTO rule s would improve the predictability of the trading 
sector.  Japan was also convinced that Russia's accession would further enhance economic relations 
between the two countries.  Japan was determined to further contribute to maintaining and strengthening the multilateral trading system  together with the new WTO partner.  
25. The representative of Brazil said that the accessi on of the Russian Federation to the WTO was 
an historic event comparable to the accession of China ten years before.  Russia was the only major 
economy still operating outside the framework of the rules-based multilateral trading system 
embodied in the WTO.  It was Brazil's firm belief that not only Russia, but also the entire membership 
would greatly benefit from Russia's entry into the WTO.  He noted that the BRICS countries were now fully represented in the Organization and recalle d that Brazil, China, India and South Africa had 
always been strong supporters of Russia's accession  bid.  Russia's accession could not have been 
better timed, as it took place at the moment when the world was faced with uncertainties and as a 
result it was either growing at lower rates, or not growing at all.  As a dynamic economy with huge 
growth potential, the Russian Fede ration could and would certainly play a positive role in helping 
expand world trade flows.  Brazil was also confiden t that Russia, due to the huge size of its economy 
and the competence of its negotiators, would be a relevant player in the DDA process, and would 
make a positive contribution to a successful outcome.  Russia was one of Brazil's major trading partners:  over the years, despite starting from different perspectives, the Brazilian and Russian 
delegations had been able to establish the confid ence and mutual trust that were requisites for 
concluding a successful negotiation.  At this moment, the task was to implement the accession package that had been approved.  Brazil was convin ced of Russia's determination to incorporate the 
WTO disciplines into its national policies in a timel y, transparent and comprehensive manner and the 
Russian Federation could count on Brazil's full support. 
26. The representative of China said that China had always supported Russia's early accession 
and was among the first WTO Members to conclude bilateral market access  negotiations with it. 
Russia has a dynamic economy with growing impact on world trade and economy.  Therefore, Russia's accession would make the WTO more globa l, and the multilateral trading system more 
dynamic.  It would also surely provide more trade opportunities to international business communities and new impetus to the world economy.  In shor t, China believed that Russia's accession was good 
news to Russia, the WTO and its entire Membership .  He also recalled that China and Russia had 
traditionally enjoyed friendly rela tions.  Russia's accession would further expand these close ties into 
the WTO.  China was looking forward to deeply coll aborating with Russia in the WTO, and together 
with all other Members, safeguarding the funda mental value of the Organization and making 
corresponding contributions to the development of  international trade and the world economy.  WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
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27. The representative of Mexico said that his delegation welcomed the fact that almost two 
decades of extensive efforts to incorporate the Ru ssian Federation into the WTO had now borne fruit, 
marking a milestone in the history of the Organiza tion.  Russia was the only large economy not bound 
by WTO rules and principles.  The major internal reform process initiated by the country to achieve 
full participation in the WTO, and the Members' effo rts to consolidate that participation represented a 
decisive step in the defence and promotion of the multilateral trading system as a fundamental 
instrument for international trade, and in the pr omotion of integration into the world economy as a 
strategy for development.  He highlighted that  the participants in the accession process had acted 
responsibly, preserving the principles of the Organiza tion and mindful of its objectives.  Mexico was 
certain that the Russian Federation would, likewi se, fully honour the obligations and commitments 
undertaken during that process.  Mexico was convinced  that Russia's integration into the multilateral 
trading system would benefit all WTO Members, and was therefore eager to strengthen trade relations with this country and with all other Members. 
28. The representative of Canada said that this was another historic milestone in Russia's 
remarkable history, as it moved towards an ever-brighte r future in the years ahead, and that it was also 
a milestone for the WTO.  Russia's accession expanded WTO membership to include the world's 
major economies and this strengthened the global tr ading system, and opened a new chapter in the 
WTO's history.  He recalled that Canada had l ong been a strong supporter of Russia's accession and 
noted with pride that Canadians were involved throughout the accession process.  Over the years, 
Canadian trade policy professionals at Carleton Un iversity's Centre for Trade Policy and Law had 
provided valuable advice and capacity-building to Russia's dedicated accessions team, and this was 
because Canada had long recognized and appreciat ed Russia's importance in the global trading 
system, as a hub of Eurasian trade, as one of the world's largest economies and as home to a large number of globally active companies.  Russia's influe nce was being felt in other ways, too, including 
as the 2012 APEC Chair, and as a member of the G 20, which it would host in 2013.  In a relatively 
short period of time, Russia's efforts to creat e a more business-friendly environment had won the 
world's attention, and that included Canada's.  His country's trading partnership with Russia was 
growing stronger every year and that Russia wa s a priority market under our country's Global 
Commerce Strategy.  Canadian companies in a wi de range of sectors appreciated the opportunities 
which the Russian economy offered, and were deepening their presence there. The respective 
governments were also working together throug h the Canada-Russia Intergovernmental Economic 
Commission, to address issues like trade, investme nt, and science and technology. Additionally, the 
Arctic partnership remained strong, as the two countri es worked together in this unique, fragile area of 
the planet.  Canada was of the view that, as one of the world's largest economies, Russia had to be part 
of the efforts to liberalize global trade and figh t protectionism in the WTO. This was a fragile, 
uncertain period in the global economy and all tradi ng nations were needed at the table to develop 
solutions that would unlock the full promise of liber alized multilateral trade. In this respect, Canada 
believed that partnerships, not prot ectionism, held the key to creating jobs and prosperity in the global 
economy and believed in the WTO's ability to help achieve this goal. Canada was therefore very 
pleased that Russia was becoming part of these effort s and looked forward to Russia's ratification in 
2012.  
29. The representative of Georgia welcomed the enlargement of the Organization and the 
accession of new Members, which meant more predictable and transparent trade in the world.  He 
recalled that, to facilitate accessions, Georgia, with  the mediation of the Government of the Swiss 
Confederation, had negotiated very important agr eements with the Russian Federation enabling the 
finalization of the long-lasting accession process. In an  effort to ensure transparency, the Government 
of Georgia had regularly informed the membership on the developments in th e bilateral negotiations 
between Georgia and the Russian Federation on the accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO.  
He noted that, as a result, three types of documents ha d been signed:  first, the Government of Georgia 
and the Government of the Russian Federation had signed an Agreement on the basic principles for a 
mechanism of customs administration and monitoring of trade in goods. Second, as foreseen by this 
agreement, relevant Memoranda of Understanding had been signed to affirm the role of the  WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
 Page 9 
 
 
  Government of the Swiss Confederation as the neut ral third Party.  Third, Georgia, the Russian 
Federation and Switzerland had exchan ged relevant "Notes Verbales" a nd letters defining the terms of 
reference for the activity of neutral monitors as envisaged by the bilateral agreement.  These 
agreements would ensure the tran sparency of all trade in goods between the two Members of the 
WTO.  The Government of Georgia wished to thank the Accessions Division of the WTO and the 
Chairman of the Working Party. In particular, it wished to extend its sincere gratitude to the 
Government of the Swiss Confederation for its tir eless efforts in negotiating this agreement and for 
their commitment to the implementation of the ag reement as emphasized by their acceptance of the 
role of the neutral third Party.  Georgia looked fo rward to the effective functioning of the mechanism 
established by these agreements. 
30. The representative of Australia, on behalf of th e Cairns Group, recalled that Cairns Group 
members had been active participants in the Work ing Party since it had begun its work in 1993, 
including in relation to Russia's domestic support pr oposal.  This reflected Russia's position as a major 
trading partner in agricultural goods and its role as a big player in the global commodities market.  
The Group's commitment to the negotiating process had also been a measure of confidence in the 
future of Russia; it had been a measure of appreci ation of Russia's strategic importance within the 
global rules-based trading system; and it had al so been a measure of the importance placed on 
Russia's commitments on agriculture.  Since that time  18 years before, bilateral trade and investment 
bonds between the Cairns Group members and Russi a had widened and deepened, as Russia had 
embraced very difficult and challenging economic reforms.  Taking account of Russia's standing as 
the world's sixth largest economy on purchasing power parity terms, and a key player in the global 
commodities market, Cairns Group Ministers had been active in expressing their strong support for 
Russia's accession to the WTO before the end of  2011.  The Group was particularly pleased to 
welcome the Russian delegation's participation at the recent Cairns Group meeting in Canada earlier 
in the year.  The Group considered that Russia wo uld bring an important new perspective to the 
Group and generate greater opportunities for its members beyond the agriculture sector, into services 
and industrial sectors.  The Group looked forward to  the Russian Federation's active participation in 
advancing the Organization's multila teral agenda and agriculture trade reform by upholding the 
principles of transparency and predictability.  The Cairns Group looked forward to working 
constructively with Russia on future issues of comm on interests. In concluding, he said that the 
organization was a club, and by any measure a club should be judged by the number of its members.  It was a club that countries wanted to join, and that no one had ever wanted to leave.   
31. The representative of Bangladesh, on behalf of the LDC Group, said that the Group 
appreciated the hard work that had gone into the 18 year long process and hoped that this accession 
would add new impetus to the efforts to furt her energize the WTO rule-making and negotiating 
functions.  The accession of the Russian Federation was of systemic importance to the WTO, since it would allow the Organization move towards covering almost the entire volume of international trade 
through its membership.  The LDC Group believed th at the accession of the Russian Federation to the 
multilateral trading system would also have the conc omitant benefits of promoting further growth in 
trade through creating new market opportunities for LD Cs.  In this context, the LDC Group reiterated 
the importance of further accelerating and streamlining the accession of developing and least-developed countries to the WTO.  The experience from the Russian Federation's accession could help 
draw useful lessons in this regard.  The LDC Group looked forward to working together with the 
Russian Federation to uphold and promote issues of  common interest as embodied in the WTO.  
Finally, as a Minister of Bangladesh, he wished to recall the valuable role the Russian Federation had 
played in Bangladesh's independence in 1971.  Russi a had been a trusted friend and partner over the 
years, and Bangladesh wished to fu rther deepen the two countries' exce llent bilateral relations through 
trade and commercial ties within a br oader framework of co-operation. 
32. The representative of Cuba recalled that it had taken 18 years for the WTO to welcome one of 
the major economies in the world.  He noted that there were still several developing countries on the WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
Page 10  
 
waiting list and that there were very high expect ations placed on those countries wishing to accede to 
the WTO; this had made the whole process rather difficult.  He recalled that Cuba and Russia had 50 years of close trade relations.  Russian peopl e had made a significant contribution to world 
development, tremendous sacrifices for humanity's peace and great gestures towards other peoples, 
including the people of Cuba.  The way in which the Russian Federation was joining the world trade 
system was of great significance to the internati onal community and of strategic significance to the 
Organization as it worked towards reinforcing the multilateral trading system and ensuring that the 
Doha Development Round was concluded. 
33. The representative of Ukraine recalled that  negotiations on the accession of the Russian 
Federation and Ukraine, as candidate countries appl ying to join the WTO, had started almost 
simultaneously and had taken place in parallel. He  noted that the bilateral trading and economic 
relations between Russia and Ukraine were based on  a free trade regime, and stressed that Ukraine 
stood for keeping this regime in the context of the WTO Agreements system.  He also expressed 
Ukraine's assurance that the accession of the Russi an Federation to the WTO would further deepen 
their bilateral trade and economic relations. 
34. The representative of Kenya, on behalf of the African Group, said that Africa was an 
important trade and development partner of the Russi an Federation.  He therefore wished to welcome 
Russia, in the firm belief that they would continue to work together not only on their own issues but 
also in making the WTO a strong organization.  W ith the accession of Russia, the WTO was stronger; 
close to 99 per cent of global trade would be under the WTO umbrella.  It had taken Russia 18 years 
to accede.  The Group wished to take this opport unity to appeal to WTO Members to facilitate 
accessions of the few remaining developing countries  and least-developed countries which were still 
outside the organization, so 100 per cent of gl obal trade could be under the multilateral trading 
system.  The accession of the Russian Federation would not only strengthen the WTO, but would 
bring a new impetus to the conclusion of the outst anding issues, including the conclusion of the DDA. 
35. The representative of Argentina said that until th at day, the multilateral trading system had 
been incomplete.  The objectives of global economic cooperation and the consolidation of a fairer and 
more open multilateral trading system could, from now  on, be pursued by an organization of global 
scope.  Argentina strongly supported the negotiation package which had been agreed and believed that 
it was balanced.  It defined advantageous rights and obligations for the Russian Federation, for 
Argentina and for the WTO.  The agreement which had been reached promoted  the diversification, 
modernization and integration of the Russian Federation into the global economy.  Russia was 
growing and, with its accession to the WTO, its growth would be further strengthened and become 
more sustainable in the framework of a series of  agreements that guaranteed a transparent and 
predictable environment for trade.  Argentina was confident that the agreed legal framework would 
enhance the existing complementarities between the two economies, in order to realize the common 
goals of increasing production and jobs.  He wished to highlight the ability, tenacity and technical 
competence of the Russian negotiating team, with  which Argentina had worked cooperatively over 
the 18 years of the accession process. Argentina wa s ready to continue working with the Russian 
Federation so as to contribute to its full insertion into the WTO as well as to strengthen the coordination of the two countries' positions.  Argentin a also remained committed to its efforts to make 
Russia's accession a catalyst to reinforce the relati onship with the Customs Union composed of Russia 
and two other candidates, Belarus and Kazakhstan. 
36. The representative of Indonesia, on behalf of ASEAN, said that Russia was an important 
ASEAN dialogue partner.  Since the accession pr ocess had begun, ASEAN had been constructively 
involved in the negotiations and was very grateful to see the process concluded.  It had not been an 
easy undertaking for Russia to embrace a series of new rules and commitments that were the foundations of an open, transparent and non-di scriminatory multilateral trading system.  ASEAN 
firmly believed that the completion of this process represented an historic achievement for Russia and 
the whole WTO membership.  The accession package would bring ample benefits for both Russia and  WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
 Page 11 
 
 
  the multilateral trading system, which would offer be tter certainty and predictability for traders in 
securing commercial interests.  ASEAN looked forwar d to working constructively with the Russian 
Federation in advancing the cause of  the Organization.  ASEAN also wished to urge all Members to 
work towards improving the accession system, in line w ith the need to speed up the realization of the 
universal membership of the organization. 
37. The representative of Finland thanked Switzerla nd and Iceland for their work in the accession 
process and congratulated the European Union, the United States and Russia for this achievement.  He 
noted that the Director-General had made a refere nce to marathon negotiations but believed that this 
was in fact a triathlon negotiation:  Members had swum for the first 3.8 km, which were the 18 years 
of negotiations, they would have to bike the 180 km through the ratification and implementation 
phase, and, finally, being a Member of the WTO was the actual marathon, since this was a continuous 
process.  For Finland, that had 1,30 0 km of borders with Russia, this was one of the best days ever 
seen in multilateral trade.  Russia's membership in th e WTO was the best piece of  trade news in a very 
long time.  It was politically and economically good , and also good for trade. Russia was Finland's 
biggest trading partner and he stressed that it w as good to do business in Russia and that it would get 
even better through WTO membership.  
38. The representative of the Separate Customs Terr itory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, 
speaking on behalf of the Group of Recently Acceded  Members (the RAMs Group), said that this was 
a very encouraging and important moment, not only for the Russian Fe deration, but also for the WTO 
and its membership. Accessions always enriched th e organization and added to its universality, and 
the economy of the acceding Member benefited from its further integration into the multilateral 
trading system. The RAMs Group had always been supportive of new WTO accessions. He stressed 
that 2011 had been a particularly good year for WTO accessions, and that the prospects for further 
accessions in 2012 were also positive. The RAMs Group looked forward to working constructively 
with the Russian Federation as a fe llow WTO Member in the future. 
39. The representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela said that justice had finally been 
done with the integration into the system of a key player such as Russia, given its significant volume 
of international trade.  This important event was undoubtedly a significan t step forward in the 
strengthening and universalization of this Or ganization.  Venezuela highly valued Russia's 
incorporation in the WTO, since it was currently one of its largest trading partners.  Venezuela was 
convinced that this important player would be inst rumental in promoting development in all areas of 
the WTO's work, including in the Doha Round.  Russia had shared responsibilities in the BRICS 
group, which was composed of developing countri es whose leadership prov ided an example for 
others.  Venezuela acknowledged the major effo rts undertaken by the Russian Government 
throughout the accession process in aligning its tr ade policy and domestic standards with existing 
WTO disciplines and in meeting the numerous dema nds of participating Members.  Venezuela 
therefore commended Russia for the patience it had shown and the sacrifices it had made during the 
difficult negotiations to become a WTO Member.  Th ere was a need for the WTO Membership to find 
a mechanism to facilitate the ac cession process.  Many countries had spent years trying to fully 
integrate into the multilateral trading system but to  no avail, despite all their endeavours, because of 
the numerous requirements involved.  Many deve loping countries seeking accession found themselves 
in this difficult situation.  Venezuela believed th at the accession process should be quick, transparent 
and based on technical and legal grounds, free from an y political considerations or retaliation of any 
kind.  In recognition of the fact that the multila teral trading system was development-oriented, 
Venezuela proposed that flexibilities should be grante d to the developing countries to facilitate their 
integration. 
40. The representative of Germany said that this was a great success for Russia and for the 
multilateral trading system.  Russia's accession meant that the Organization was being joined by an 
important partner, and this success highlighted th e organization's attractiven ess and ability to function WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
Page 12  
 
despite all the difficulties in the Doha Round.  As one of Russia's top trading partners, Germany had 
always supported Russia's bid to join the WTO.  After 18 years of difficult negotiations, the goal had been achieved thanks to the cons tructive cooperation of all WTO part ners and the facilitators provided 
by the WTO. Joining the WTO would strengthen Russi a's integration in the world trade system and 
accelerate the modernization of the Russian eco nomy, which was a key aim of the Russian 
Government.  At the same time, trade relations  with Russia would now be based on a new legal 
foundation, the rules of the WTO trade system.  Both Russia and its WTO partners would benefit 
from this step, as it opened up new market opportunities for companies.  Finally, Russia's accession to the WTO made it clear that tough and persistent ne gotiations ultimately paid off, and this was a 
crucial signal that the Ministerial Conference s hould highlight.  Germany looked forward to even 
closer economic partnership with Russia.   
41. The representative of South Africa said that his country enjoyed strong and growing bilateral 
relations with Russia.  South Africa had been work ing with Russia as a partne r within the BRICS, and 
was now pleased to welcome Russia as a partner in the WTO.  This had been a long journey, but the 
WTO had now taken the correct decision to admit a systemically significant economy into its ranks.  
This decision would strengthen the WTO, and w ould be a step towards the universality of the 
Organization, which South Africa strongly supported. 
42. The representative of Kazakhstan, speaking as an  observer, said that this accession was the 
result of a long journey, and of the hard work, determination and strong political will, continuously 
demonstrated by the Russian Federation, WTO Member s and the Secretariat.  She noted that this was 
a very important date, not only for the organi zation and the Russian Federation, but also for 
Kazakhstan, as a strategic partner of Russia within the Customs Union and Euro-Asian integration.  
The commitments undertaken by the Russian Federa tion related to the competence of the Customs 
Union would be incorporated into the regulatory frame work as well as the applied policies of the three 
members of the Customs Union.  As such, the Ru ssian accession terms would have an immediate and 
direct impact on Kazakhstan's trade regime.  He nce, Kazakhstan strongly believed that Russia's 
accession would also accelerate Kazak hstan's accession to the WTO.  Kazakhstan was committed to 
take all the necessary steps to finalize the process by the end of the following year.  She was confident 
that Russia's membership in the WTO would enri ch the work of the organization and make its 
achievements far-reaching and truly global. 
43. The Chairman wished to add his own words of congratulations and also convey the 
congratulations of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and of the 
people of Nigeria to the First Deputy Prime Minister and to the people of the Russian Federation.  He 
added that delegations that  had not been able to take the floor  might wish to place their expression of 
welcome on record by submitting a statement to the Secretariat.2 
44. The Ministerial Conference took note of the statements and expressions of support for the 
accession of the Russian Federation.   
45. The Chairman then invited Minister Nabiu llina, First Deputy Prime Minister Shuvalov, 
President Calmy-Rey and Ambassador  Jóhannesson to join the Director-General at the signing table 
and invited the Director-General to proceed with the ceremony for the signature of the Protocol of 
Accession.   
46. The meeting adjourned at 5.20 p.m. 
                                                      
2 Such statements are included in the Annex to the present records.  In addition, many expressions of 
welcome were contained in statements made under Agenda Item 1.  WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
 Page 13 
 
 
  ANNEX 
Expressions of welcome by delegations to the Russian Federation 
 
 
 At the request of the delegations concerned,  the following statements are included below as 
part of the Summary Record of the Eighth Ministerial Conference. 
  
1. Bulgaria 
 
Bulgaria would like to warmly welcome the dis tinguished delegation of Russian Federation at 
this historical meeting.  The accession of one of the largest economies and one of our main trading partners to the WTO is an important step toward s strengthening the multilateral system and enhancing 
global economic cooperation.  The successful conclusi on of the continuous and intense negotiations 
on the Working Party Report and the accession pack age as a whole gives a positive signal and will 
bring substantial benefits both to Russian Fe deration and to the rest of the membership. 
 
Bulgaria highly appreciates the commitments unde rtaken by Russia to further open its trade 
regime and offer more transparent and predictable requirements to the foreign operators.  The full 
implementation of the WTO provisions, with r ecourse to very few transitional periods, will 
considerably improve the market access for our  goods and services, as well as the overall trade 
environment.  We note the intention of the Ru ssian Federation to join the WTO Government 
Procurement Agreement and initiate negotiations for membership within four years of its accession. 
 
Russian Federation and Bulgaria have a long tr ack record as trading partners and share 
common view with respect to the importance of th e economic cooperation. Our bilateral trade in the 
recent years has been witnessing rapid and steady pr ogress. Total trade has increased by 32.9% in 
2010 compared to 2009. The increase of exports from Bulgaria is 44.2% and the increase of imports 
from Russia is 31.4% for the same period. Merchand ise trade between our countries is 10.2% of the 
total Bulgarian trade in 2010.   The annual exports of Bulgarian goods to Russian market are expected 
to increase after the full implementation of the tariff  commitments in the next several years.  Beyond 
import duties, significant gains for our operators are expected due to the legislative reforms and the 
elimination or reduction of trade distortive practices.  Last but not least, we expect that the Russian 
Federation will take active part in all areas of  the on-going negotiations and contribute to the 
conclusion of the Doha Round.  
2. Costa Rica 
  Costa Rica wishes to congratula te the Russian Federation on the successful conclusion of this 
procedure, which has lasted for over 18 years, and has ended with the decision to approve its 
accession to this Organization as a new Member.  Th anks to the combined efforts of the Russian 
Federation and the Members, we have been able  to conclude these negotiations with a positive 
outcome for all, marking the starting point for a new role for the Russian Federation as an integral part 
of the multilateral trading system and providing e normous potential to tighten the existing links and 
create new flows of trade.   Costa Rica is happy to welcome the Russian Federation to the WTO during 2012.  Its accession is a historic landmark and a step further towards a universal Organization.  We are certain 
that the Russian Federation will be a construc tive Member, committed to the multilateral trading 
system, and will assume its responsibilities seriously and responsibly.  We hop e to continue working 
closely with the Russian delegation in the future, positively and advantageous ly, as we have done so 
far. WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
Page 14  
 
 
3. Croatia 
 
 It is our great pleasure to take this opportunity to express our compliments to the Russian 
Federation for accomplishing successfully the long -lasting accession negotiations and becoming the 
WTO member.  The act of joining the WTO by one of the biggest world economies is the evidence of 
the strength and importance of the organization itself and its role in the multilateral trading system.  
  Croatia was member of the Working Party for Russian WTO Accession and conducted bilateral negotiations on market access for goods. Th e bilateral Protocol between two countries was 
singed not later than in 2005.  Russia is important economic partner of Croatia , and in particular in 
terms of trade and investments.  The Croatian busin ess community, especially exporters and investors, 
have welcomed the Russian accession to the WTO sin ce this implies stability and predictability of the 
Russian economic environment as well as more fa vourable access to this significant market. 
 
 We are sure that the WTO membership will ha ve a considerable importance for Russia, both 
in terms of reforms that have been implemen ted and the new opportunities for investments and 
enhancement of trade flows.  Apart from it we are convinced that the Russian  membership will have 
great significance for the WTO itself, strengthening the organization and continuation of negotiations on further trade liberalization.  And finally, please receive our warmest congratulations and welcome 
to WTO!  4. Ecuador 
 
 We wish to congratulate the Russian Federa tion and its negotiating team on the successful 
conclusion of this long and difficu lt process, and welcome it to the World Trade Organization.  We 
commend Switzerland for its contribution to breaki ng the deadlock and cong ratulate the Russian 
Federation and Georgia on reaching a mutually accep table solution.  We are certain that Russia a 
friend with whom Ecuador is deve loping a broad, bilateral work agenda will honour and follow up on 
all the commitments it has made with Members.  Th is will help to consolidate the multilateral trading 
system and to guarantee predictability in current and future trade relations and access for developing 
countries to the market of the Russian Federation. 
 
5. El Salvador 
 
 On behalf of El Salvador, we should like to  welcome the Russian Federation to the World 
Trade Organization.  We consider that this historic  event will contribute not only to the universality of 
the Organization, but also to its strengthening, thro ugh the membership of one of the most important 
countries in the world in terms of trade.  We hope  that the commitments undertaken by this Member 
during the accession process will help enhance trad e relations between our countries.  We look 
forward to working with the Russian Federation a nd the other Members in order to press ahead with 
the important and challenging work that lies before us  in this Organization.  It only remains for us to 
congratulate the Russian Federation once again on all its  efforts to ensure the successful conclusion of 
this long accession process and to extend to it a warm welcome to this Organization. 
 
6. Hong Kong, China 
 
 Hong Kong, China would like to join other Me mbers in extending our warm welcome to the 
Russian Federation on its accession to the WTO.  For WTO Members, this is certainly a very 
important milestone to celebrate.  I am also glad to witness this historic occasion in person.  After 
persevering through 18 years of negotiations, Ru ssia has completed its bid for WTO membership.  
Russia's long standing efforts to pursue accession is  not only a testament of its determination in 
opening further to the outside world, but also an  affirmation of the importance of the multilateral 
trading system and the WTO's continued relevance today.  In joining the WTO family, Russia has  WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
 Page 15 
 
 
  committed to deepen its economic reforms and suppor t open and transparent trade rules.  We are 
encouraged by Russia's commitments to reduce tariff s, reform its customs regime and liberalise the 
insurance, banking and telecommunication services sectors, amongst others.  We believe all WTO 
Members will benefit from freer trade and more inte grated markets with Russia's participation.  
 
 Members will have noted the significant progress made during the Ministerial Conference in 
extending the Agreement on Government Procuremen t (GPA).  Being one of the GPA Parties, Hong 
Kong, China is pleased that Russia will become an observer to the GPA and will initiate negotiations 
to join the agreement in due course.  We look forw ard to Russia's active participation in the GPA and 
encourage other non-Parties to consider acceding to the GPA as well.  Russia's WTO membership 
greatly enhances the universality of the multilateral tr ading system and strengthens the WTO's role as 
a global institution.  Hong Kong, China will conti nue to develop our econo mic and trade relations 
with Russia within the WTO as well as in  the bilateral and regional contexts. 
 
7. Honduras 
  I should like to join the other speakers in welcoming Her Excellency Ms Elvira Nabiullina, 
the Minister of Economic Development of the Russian  Federation, and her delegation.  Today, we can 
celebrate the first achievement of the Eighth Minist erial Conference.  The decision to accept the last 
developed country into this Organization, after 18 years of arduous negotiations, is a historical one.  
Russia's accession provides a decisive boost for the world economy and the multilateral trading 
system.  Russia will be able to benefit from Memb ers' concessions and obligations and, in turn, 
Members will benefit from those undertaken by Ru ssia on both goods and services.  We commend the 
Government of the Russian Federation and the Member s of this Organization for the flexibility shown 
throughout the negotiations, the successful conclu sion of which represents a positive and significant 
outcome for the Ministerial Conference. 
 
8. Italy  
 
 Italy welcomes the opportunity to express it s sincere congratulations to the Russian 
Federation for the completion of the process of acce ssion to the WTO.  The process has been long and 
sometimes complex and it is with extreme satisfacti on that Italy, being a very relevant and active 
trading and investment partner of the Russian Fe deration, welcomes this historical achievement, 
which represents one of the most important deliverables of the Eighth WTO Ministerial Conference.  Italy, both bilaterally and as member of the Europ ean Union, has always been a strong supporter of 
Russia's WTO accession, in the st rong belief that it represents an  historic result for the WTO, 
especially in these very difficult times for the global economy and for international trade.  
 
 The value of Russia's WTO Membership ca nnot be underestimated: it will be extremely 
valuable for the Russia's economy as well as fo r its trade partners and for the entire WTO 
membership, bringing substantial benefits to  all of them, improving the overall business and 
investment climate and strengtheni ng the multilateral trading system.  We therefore congratulate once 
again the Russian Federation for this great achie vement, which will further reinforce the already 
strong economic and commercial ties between Russia, the European Union and Italy in particular. 
 
9. Korea 
 
 First of all, my delegation would like to ex tend a warm welcome to H.E. Madame Elvira 
Nabiullina, Minister of the Economic Development of the Russian Federation and her delegation, and 
to congratulate Russia on its accession to the WTO.  This is a historic moment for Russia and the 
entire membership of the organization.  Today, we are pleased to bear witness to the successful 
conclusion of Russia's 18-year old journey towards joining the WTO.  
 WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
Page 16  
 
 In this regard, we would like to thank Ambassador Stefan Haukur Jóhannesson for the 
excellent stewardship that he has shown as Chairman  of Working Party during the long path towards 
its final conclusion.  We also extend our gratit ude to the government of Switzerland for playing a 
critical role in sealing the final deal through its successful mediation between Russia and Georgia.  
Our thanks also go to Director-General Pascal Lamy and the Secretariat for their hard work.  Last, but 
not least, we applaud the Russian delegation for th eir efforts and patience during the entire process. 
 
 I wish to make three comments.  First, ther e is no doubt that a WTO membership will greatly 
contribute to boosting Russia's economy.  By bringi ng the domestic laws and regulations in line with 
the WTO rules and by implementing its market ac cess commitments, Russia can anchor its economic 
reform to the WTO system and go further in opening -up its market. Furthermore, foreign investment 
in Russia will increase, as invest ors' confidence in the transparency and predictability of Russia's 
investment policy will be enhanced.  The gains from the economic reform and increased foreign direct 
investment will further accelerate the full integra tion of Russia's economy into the global trading 
system.  We take note of a research conducted by the World Bank, which found that WTO 
membership could boost Russia's economy by 3% in the medium term and by 11% in the long term. 
 
 Second, we should not underestimate the co mmercial benefits of Russia's accession for 
Russia's trading partners. Russia has committed to lowering its tariff ceiling to 7.8% from 10% on 
average.  Greater market  access will subsequently expand globa l trade and generate growth world-
wide.  Indeed, Korea has a robust economic re lationship with Russia. Russia is Korea's 12
th largest 
export destination and import source.  Thus, we very much hope and trust that Russia's accession will 
not only further promote bilateral trade and inv estment, but also enhance substantive cooperation 
between our two countries.   
 
 Third, Russia's entry into the WTO has positiv e systemic implications. Russia is the only G20 
country that is not a member of the WTO. By in corporating Russia into its rules-based system, the 
WTO will substantially expand its c overage, leading to a greater stability and transparency within the 
multilateral trading system. Russia's accession to th e WTO could also send a positive message to the 
global community that this organization has the cap acity and drive to do something both tangible and 
worthwhile.  Such a positive message is critical in times like this.  The world economy has been 
experiencing unprecedented challenges and the threat of protectionism remains an increasingly 
present concern.  The accession of Russia to the WTO would reassure the world of the WTO's relevance as the guardian of the multilateral trading system, at a time when the global trading system 
is being severely tested.   
  In conclusion, this year marks the tenth anni versary of China's accession to the WTO.  Now, 
10 years after the China's accession,  Russia, the last major economy outside the WTO, is joining the 
organization. China's accession to the WTO presen ted new growth opportunities both for itself and for 
the rest of the world.  By the same token, we  hope that Russia's accession to the WTO will serve as a 
catalyst for economic growth of both Russia and th e Members, while streng thening the multilateral 
trading system as a whole.  Korea very much looks  forward to working closely with Russia and others 
to ensure that the WTO, as the world's premier and most relevant international trade organization, will 
build on and continue to assert its strength in the years to come. 
 
10. The Netherlands 
 
 The Netherlands warmly welcomes the Russian Federation to the World Trade Organization.  
Your accession to the multilateral trade agreements is in credibly valuable to all of us.  It is the best 
way to guarantee free trade and predictable trading ru les.  We are convinced this will greatly benefit 
economic relations with your  country.  Our bilateral relations ar e already flourishing.  They will now 
flourish even more.  For your membership en courages companies from both our countries to do 
business with each other; because it will lead to lower tariffs and better market access; because 
Russian legislation will be brought in line with  the multilateral framework; because the Russian  WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
 Page 17 
 
 
  Federation will now apply internati onal standards, regarding both san itary and phytosanitary measures 
and technical regulations.    Not only the trade in goods will benefit. So will the trade in services, from transport and 
distribution to business services.  Speaking of transport, I welcome the separate EU-Russian 
agreement on Siberian overflight rights.  Your membership crowns years of tough and complex 
negotiations, including within the European Unio n. I want to extend a special thank you to the 
European Commission for their unrelenting efforts to find solutions and finalise the deal.  We can all 
be highly satisfied with the outcome.  Once again, a very warm welcome to the Russian Federation, 
alongside the three other new members of the WTO! 
 
11. Paraguay 
 
Paraguay would like to congratulate the Russi an Federation on successfully completing its 
negotiations for accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).  The accession of Russia is a 
historical event, since it will expand the WTO's reach to over 90 per cent of world trade, thus 
demonstrating the true universality of this Organizat ion.  Russia is the largest market for Paraguayan 
meat.  We hope to be able to increase trade flows in  other areas and we stand ready to cooperate with 
our Russian colleagues as they inte grate into the day-to-day work of the WTO.  Finally, taking into 
account Russia's 18 years of membership negotiations, we urge Members to strive for a more flexible 
accession process for developing and least-developed countries, and in particular landlocked ones. 
 12. Peru 
 
 I should like to express my Government's satis faction at the successful conclusion of this 
lengthy and complex process, whic h has taken 18 years of negotiations , so Peru joins all the Members 
of this Organization in welcoming and congratula ting the delegation of the Russian Federation.  
Bilateral relations between Russia and Peru have been highly advant ageous to both countries and have 
been within the context of intensified political dialogue, trade and development of technical and 
scientific cooperation, including transfer of technol ogy.  Peru has always supported Russia's accession 
to the WTO with an ambitious and balanced outcome .  Peru satisfactorily completed its negotiations 
with Russia on a Bilateral Protocol in 2005 and we hoped that, at last, this accession would take place 
as we were certain that it would be of enormous benefit to Russia and to all Members of the WTO, 
would strengthen the multilateral trading system  and would reaffirm the WTO's role as the 
international organization responsible for the ru les that govern trade among countries at the global 
level.  
 At the bilateral level, this accession will tighten  even further our excellent bilateral trade and 
investment links, as well as frie ndship and cooperation be tween our peoples and governments.  Russia 
and Peru are partners in several initiatives, incl uding the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, 
which Russia will chair in 2012.  Russia's accession a nd its leadership in APEC next year can only 
serve to underscore Russia's new role in the booming tr ade in the Asia Pacific region and in the world.  
We hope to continue working closely with Russia,  both at the bilateral and regional levels and, 
henceforward, at the multilateral level in the WTO's various committees and bodies.  We are certain 
that Russia will play a constructive role in the WTO. 
 
13. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)  
 On behalf of the Government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, I would like to 
express my congratulations to delegation of Russi an Federation for accession to the World Trade 
Organization.  With this ceremony today, Russi an Federation will accept the agreed rules and 
principles of the Multilateral Trading System in the interest of building a predictable and transparent 
trade policy.  For the WTO accession of Russian Fe deration is big step forward regarding global WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
Page 18  
 
trade.  The Former Yugoslav Republic of Mace donia expects economic cooperation with Russian 
Federation to be more successful in the future. 
 
14. Turkey 
  Today, the World Trade Organization took a huge step towards becoming a universal 
organization.  Therefore, the Eighth Session of the WTO Ministerial Conference has an historical significance.  I would like to express my pleasure fo r the accession of the Russian Federation to the 
WTO and sincerely welcome our neighbour.  Turkey  supported the Russian Federation at every stage 
of its accession negotiations with the belief that this would create a mutual benefit. It is certain that 
both the Russian Federation and the multilateral tr ading system will tremendously gain from this 
accession.  I have no doubt that, this accession w ill further strengthen the WTO, which already 
comprises 90% of world trade. Extensive effort s of the Russian Federation for becoming a WTO 
member will make an unprecedented contribution to the re-strengthening of the credibility of the 
multilateral trading system.    
 
 WTO contributes to the rule based functioning of  the world trade and therefore ensures a fair 
and transparent trading environment. As being the second largest economy acceding to the WTO after 
China, the WTO membership of th e Russian Federation, which has a GDP of 1.9 trillion dollars, will 
be one of the largest liberalization movements in in ternational trade. As the economic integration is 
increasing rapidly in today's world, the implications of this important decision will be very closely felt 
not only by the Russian Federation and its trade partners but also by the global economy.  On the 
other hand, WTO membership will facilitate the ad aptation of the Russian economy to the world 
economy and empower it in the process of shaping the global trading rules.  Besides, the reforms conducted for WTO membership and being a memb er of the WTO will boost the confidence of 
foreign investors and therefore will be beneficial  for Russia in both attracting foreign direct 
investment and increasing the compe titiveness of its services sector.  
  This historical Ministerial Conference witnesses not only the accession of the Russian Federation but also three other valuable count ries. Taking this opportunity, I would like to 
congratulate the membership of Vanuatu which was approved in the WTO General Council meeting 
last October and Samoa and Montenegro, the signature ceremonies of which will be conducted 
tomorrow.  With all these accessions, the multilateral tr ading system has become stronger.  Now is the 
turn for us to work together and conclude the Doha Development Round negot iations in the shortest 
time possible through developing creative solutions. I wholeheartedly believe that we will be able to 
achieve this end with the new blood brought by these accessions.  15.  United Kingdom  
 The UK has long supported Russia's desire to jo in the WTO, so today's endorsement of their 
accession is indeed welcome news.  It is a great  achievement and we would like to offer our 
congratulations to all involved.  We agree with Di rector-General Lamy that this is a result with 
benefits for everyone.  It will result in Russia's gr eater integration in the global economy, boost trade 
and encourage investment.  Russia's full particip ation in the WTO will help boost the multilateral 
trading system and confirm the WTO's status as a truly global organisation.  We look forward to 
working with our new Russian colleagues in the WTO next year. 
 
16. Uruguay 
 
 First of all, Uruguay wishes to congratulate the Russian Federation on its accession to the 
WTO and, at the same time, acknowledge its untiring efforts to complete the negotiations by the end 
of 2011.  Uruguay has been a privileged witness to th ese efforts.  Up until the last minute, Russia and 
a group of meat exporting countries held difficult nego tiations in order to reach a fair and acceptable 
agreement on access to the Russian market and comp lementary disciplines.  We believe that Russia's  WT/MIN(11)/SR/3 
 Page 19 
 
 
  accession is excellent news for the multilateral trading system because it reinforces it at a time when 
arriving at international commitments in any sphere is almost a chim era.  For Uruguay, having Russia 
as a partner in the WTO is essential.  Russia is cu rrently the third largest market for our exports, 
despite the vast geographical distance between our two countries.  Uruguay is also the second largest 
supplier of meat to the Russian market.  Accordingl y, we should like to recall that, although 20 years 
of negotiations were assuredly very difficult, the implementation of the commitments assumed by 
such a large economy as Russia's will be equally impor tant.  Despite this, Uruguay has full confidence 
in Russia's political determination and technical capac ity to move ahead with this implementation, one 
of which has truly demanding time limits.  17. Viet Nam 
 
 It is my great pleasure to witness the conclusion of the WTO accession process by the Russian Federation in this important event.  On be half of the Government of Viet Nam, I would like 
to cordially welcome the Russian Federation to our or ganization.  We believe th at the participation to 
the WTO by the Russian Federation, which is a ma jor economy in the world, would contribute to 
strengthen our multilateral trading system and making it a truly global organization. 
  Being strategic partners of each other for a very  long history, Viet Nam and Russia have made 
great achievements in cooperation in political, ec onomic, cultural, educa tional, scientific and 
technological spheres.  We strongly hope to furt her accelerate our co-operation and trade relations 
with Russia after its accession to the WTO.  We w ould be happy to work closely with the Russian 
Federation, both within the WTO and in other fora with a view to promoting trade, investment and 
improve Russian economic growth.    
18. Belarus (Observer) 
 
 In Belarus, we warmly welcome the accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO.  Being 
ourselves involved into the accession negotiations and recognizing the complexities of this task, we 
sincerely congratulate the Russian delegation on th e successful conclusion of negotiations and pay a 
tribute to the immense amount of work done.  Over the recent years both Belarus and Russia pursued accession to the WTO in parallel with the efforts to strengthen regional integra tion.  The integration 
matured earlier resulting in the formation of the Customs Union between Belarus, Russia and 
Kazakhstan. The new integration entity continuously  evolves growing into a world's powerhouse.  In 
2012 it will be transformed into the Eurasian Economic Area with new competences.    The Customs Union provides benefits not only for its members, but also for their trading 
partners.  Elimination of internal barriers to trad e, harmonization of foreign trade regime with third 
countries have resulted in enormous business oppor tunities for both domestic and foreign economic 
operators on more predictable and sustainable term s.  The new huge market, with roughly 170 million 
population, proves to be an attractive investment destination.  The accession of Russia to the WTO 
will have important implications for the Customs Uni on and its Members.  That would be a first step 
in promoting deeper integration of the Customs Unio n into the international economic system.  It was 
also agreed that the WTO disciplines will pr evail in the Customs Union providing additional 
guarantees to our trading partners and foreign invest ors.  Finally, Russia's accession would also mean 
recognition of the WTO-compliance of  the Customs Union trade regime vis-à-vis  third countries 
which is expected to facilitate the WTO accessi on process of the other Customs Union Members. 
 
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