"We want to finish the talks by the Hong Kong conference. We suppose it is time to draw the line in the negotiation process that has been going on for 11 years," Gref said, while speaking at a session of the working group on Russia's accession to the WTO in Geneva.
He said that this task was quite realistic, because Russia had already completed talks with 33 WTO member states that account for 87% of Russia's foreign trade turnover.
Gref also mentioned that bilateral protocols had been signed with Norway and Mexico this week. Talks with five other WTO members are in the final stage, he said.
"Talks with four other countries could be completed by September 1. Russian leaders and a number of our partners like the United States, India and Japan have agreed to finish talks no later than by year's end," Gref said.
Gref said Russia has considerably advanced in talks in the working group's final report, a document that will determine the terms of Russia's joining the WTO.
"I don't think it is impossible to finish the talks by the end of the year," Gref said.
Gref repeated that Russia was ready to join all the WTO agreements without transition periods, which includes the agreement on technical barriers to trade and the agreement for veterinary and phytosanitary measures.
"We plan to complete practically all the work to put legislation in line with future commitments to the WTO by autumn," Gref said.
Russia also intends to accelerate talks on agriculture and start the discussion on obligations related to the levels of state support and export subsidizing.
"As for state support, we are not going to require more than WTO members at the same agricultural level get. But we will not agree to lower amounts," Gref said.
Russia maintains its stance on all methodical issues, he said, and is set to assume the same obligations all other WTO member states do.
"We can expect the working group to intensify its work so that a minimal number of unsolved issues will remain on the agenda by the end of October," Gref said.
