China, Russia Deserve to Become WTO Members: Ministers

The Chinese and Russian trade officials agreed Tuesday that it is natural for China and Russia, two biggest nations in the world, to become members of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

At a meeting between Karastin Vladimir Georgievich, deputy minister of economic development and trade of Russia, and Long Yongtu, chief trade representative of China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), the two senior trade officials shared the view that China and Russia's accession to the WTO is indispensable for the completeness of the global trade organization.

Georgievich is heading a Russian delegation to Shanghai to attend the meeting of ministers responsible for trade (MRT) of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which will open Wednesday.

Long also exchanged views with the Russian guest on other issues, including pushing for the launch of a new round of WTO multilateral trade talks.

He said that, as two important members of APEC, both China and Russia are making active efforts to gain accession to the WTO. He expressed the hope that the two countries would strengthen coordination and cooperation within a multilateral trading system.

Georgievich said that Russia pays great attention to the trade and economic relations between Russia and China, and their cooperation in APEC.

He said that the leaders of the two countries maintain good relations and that the two countries should strengthen their cooperation in all areas.

Long and Georgievich also exchanged views on the major tasks and topics of the current APEC MRT meeting.

Long, head of the Chinese delegation to the APEC MRT Meeting, also met with Patrick O'Brien, parliamentary secretary to the minister for international trade of Canada, and Mexican Economic Secretary De La Calle Pardo at the Shanghai International Convention Center Tuesday morning.

O'Brien and Pardo are respectively heading the Canadian and Mexican delegations to the APEC MRT meeting.






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