Rusia

Russia becomes WTO member after 18 years of talks
Russia has spent 18 years trying to gain access to the World Trade Organization

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* Georgia opens WTO door to Russia
Russia has finally joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) at a ceremony in Switzerland on Friday, after 18 years negotiating its membership.
The Swissbrokered a deal between Russia and Georgia earlier this year that removed the last obstacle to Russia's accession.
Georgia had tried to block Russia's WTO entry since the two countries fought a shortwar in 2008.
Russia was by far the biggest economy yet to join the global trade body.
It is also the last member of the Group of 20 major economies to join, after China gained membership in 2001."This result of long and complex talks is good both for Russia and for our future partners," President Dmitry Medvedev said in a message to a WTO ministerial meeting in Geneva that formally approvedRussia's membership.
The White House said US President Barack Obama called Mr Medvedev to congratulate him on Russia's admission.
Business environment
The 153-member WTO provides a forum forinternational trade liberalisation agreements, which it polices - deciding when rules have been breached and when retaliatory trade sanctions can be imposed.
The removal of trade barriers is likely tostimulate greater and more diversified trade between Russia and the rest of the world.
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Russia and WTO timeline
*1993 Russia applies to join the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (Gatt)
* 1995 The Gatt is institutionalised as the World Trade Organization (WTO)
* 1998 Russia suffers a major financialcrisis
* 2000 US President Bill Clinton backs Russia's WTO bid in a speech to the Russian parliament
* Vladimir Putin succeeds Boris Yeltsin as Russian president
* 2001 China joins the WTO...