Russia and the WTO
In 2011, Russia completed negotiations regarding its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Over the 18 years of Russia's negotiations with the WTO and its members, discussions have occurred in society from time to time regarding the implications of this event for the country's economy.
Those who are unhappy basically say that Russian industry and agriculture are not ready for the Russian market to be opened up to global competition. Those on the opposite side point to the fact that WTO rules do not prevent measures from being applied where necessary to protect the market and for the state to support branches of the economy. But, in addition, membership in the WTO will give Russia the advantages of being able to play a role in setting world trade rules, of Russian manufacturers not seeing their goods discriminated against on foreign markets, and of trade disputes between Russia and other partners being able to be resolved using procedures within the WTO framework. Russia's foreign trade legislation, from the start of the 2000s, has been developed based on WTO principles and rules.
The Customs Union legislation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Community generally corresponds to WTO rules. Thus, institutionally, membership in the WTO should change nothing. A special Agreement was signed on 19 May, 2011 regarding the functioning of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia within the framework of a multilateral trading system. This Agreement determines the legal сonsequences of Russia's membership of the WTO for the Customs Union and for Belarus and Kazakhstan. Accordingly, Russia’s membership in the WTO will not impede subsequent integration processes with its Customs Union partners.