Russia has no plan to leave the World Trade Organization (WTO), despite attempts by some countries to “squeeze” it out, a Russian diplomat said in an interview with RIA Novosti on Monday.
“We are considering all options for our participation in multilateral trade, analyzing the balance of benefits and costs of full membership in the WTO,” said Dmitry Birichevsky, director of the Department of Economic Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“At the same time, we proceed from the fact that there are grounds to remain in the organization as a full member in order to maintain stable relations with developing countries that are ready to continue cooperation on an equal basis and with mutual interests,” he added.
He noted that the WTO was an irreplaceable global platform on which Russia built trade and economic relations with countries that did not take unfriendly actions against Russia.
“We pay special attention to interaction with partners and like-minded people from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Interaction with them is becoming more and more active and diverse,” the diplomat said.
He noted that the rules of the WTO also formed the basis for the functioning of the Eurasian Economic Union, and Russia, as a member of the organization, was obliged to comply with the rules of the WTO.
