Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan found their own WTO
Belarus and Russian experts share their views on this move. Russia, Belarus and Kazakhastan have teamed up to engage in negotiations with WTO one behalf of the Common Customs Union. At the same time, each of the countries refused to negotiate separately, Russian PM Vladimir Putin said Thursday on behalf of the three countries.
Why did Moscow initiate this process when Russia had just 6-9 months before it could enter WTO? In the view of the Moscow-based pro-Kremlin commentator Andrei Suzdaltsev, firstly, the Kremlin has no confidence that Russia will enter WTO. Secondly, the Russian Institude of Economy made an analysis as regards the benefits and disadvatages of the membership in WTO; it turned out that they practically comensate each other.
Suzdaltsev says:
"The only benefit is in some procedures, in the absence of anti-dumping investigation and things like that. This is truly a format membership. But WTO does not give Russia any huge econommic effect".
Besides, the delay in entering WTO cab be benefitial to the businesses, because there is a need for the freedom of maneuver in the time of the crisis.
According to Andrei Suzdaltsev, Russia has abruptly lost interest in WTO in the conditions of the global financial crisis. Therefore, Moscow was faced with a choice: if not to withdraw from the negotiation process, it should simply delay it.
Leanid Zaika, the director of the Minsk-based think tank Strategy Center, also reckons that WTO membership is just a technical issue -- nothing else. Neither Russia nor Belarus will get any benefits from entering WTO. He said:
"Roughly speaking, we will get no benefits. Entering WTO in the time of the crisis is the same like washing a car during rain. I would say it is an absolutely bureaucratic action".
Like Leanid Zaika joked, the three countries are going to enter WTO "in order to give a moral support to WTO".
Andrei Suzdaltsev is convinced that neither Belarus or Russia -- negotiating as part of the customs union or independtly -- has no prospects for entering WTO.
Why did Moscow initiate this process when Russia had just 6-9 months before it could enter WTO? In the view of the Moscow-based pro-Kremlin commentator Andrei Suzdaltsev, firstly, the Kremlin has no confidence that Russia will enter WTO. Secondly, the Russian Institude of Economy made an analysis as regards the benefits and disadvatages of the membership in WTO; it turned out that they practically comensate each other.
Suzdaltsev says:
"The only benefit is in some procedures, in the absence of anti-dumping investigation and things like that. This is truly a format membership. But WTO does not give Russia any huge econommic effect".
Besides, the delay in entering WTO cab be benefitial to the businesses, because there is a need for the freedom of maneuver in the time of the crisis.
According to Andrei Suzdaltsev, Russia has abruptly lost interest in WTO in the conditions of the global financial crisis. Therefore, Moscow was faced with a choice: if not to withdraw from the negotiation process, it should simply delay it.
Leanid Zaika, the director of the Minsk-based think tank Strategy Center, also reckons that WTO membership is just a technical issue -- nothing else. Neither Russia nor Belarus will get any benefits from entering WTO. He said:
"Roughly speaking, we will get no benefits. Entering WTO in the time of the crisis is the same like washing a car during rain. I would say it is an absolutely bureaucratic action".
Like Leanid Zaika joked, the three countries are going to enter WTO "in order to give a moral support to WTO".
Andrei Suzdaltsev is convinced that neither Belarus or Russia -- negotiating as part of the customs union or independtly -- has no prospects for entering WTO.
