Russia will use its freshly gained WTO membership to protect and lobby the interests of its businesses, which are often discriminated against abroad, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said.
“Our economic operators receive significant additional possibilities to enter global markets and protect their interests there in a civilized fashion,” which is the main result of WTO entry for Russia, Putin said in an article for Moskovskie Novosti.
Russia spent 18 years trying to enter the World Trade Organization, completing its accession in December. Putin said that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama and governments of leading European countries significantly contributed to completing the talks.
“Russia will observe WTO rules, same as all its international obligations. I expect our partners to play fair and abide by the same rules,” Putin said. He added that foreign, especially European countries, often hinder entry to its markets for Russian companies and investors.
