TAMBOV, Russia. Jan 31 (Interfax) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin assured Russian farmers on Tuesday that the country's future membership in the World Trade Organization was "nothing to be afraid of."
"It's clear now that when we're in the WTO we shouldn't go sluggish, but there's nothing to be afraid of either. We still have some time. We are drafting a state program that would be in effect until 2020. It will have to take care of all the pitfalls that our accession to the WTO involves," Putin told a conference in Tambov on stock raising problems.
He said he was aware of Russian farmers' concerns about the country's WTO accession.
"We will definitively join the WTO this summer, and we still have time to look for solutions to problems that may arise after we join," Putin said. "There are mechanisms for dealing with them."
He suggested that farmers take up such problems with First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov.
"We have expected support for producers to be $5.6 billion (170 billion rubles)" in 2012, Putin said. "But the terms on which we are joining (the WTO) will enable us to give them $9 billion support in 2012-2013. That is nearly twice as much as we ourselves have planned. It's the reserve (that is needed), we should analyze the situation and maybe even add something on."
"There always are risks, but if one looks what the economy and consumers will gain from accession to the WTO, there are more advantages," Putin said.
He said Russia would reserve the right to put quotas on meat imports and to levy anti-dumping duties.
Nor do the WTO rules limit state support for transportation, rural social infrastructures, education and personnel training, Putin said. "We will definitely build up such programs," he said.
He suggested that the state directly subsidize the transportation system.
Keywords: Russia, Economy, Business, Trade, WTO - Russia News - Russia
TAMBOV, Russia. Jan 31 (Interfax) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin assured Russian farmers on Tuesday that the country's future membership in the World Trade Organization was "nothing to be afraid of."
"It's clear now that when we're in the WTO we shouldn't go sluggish, but there's nothing to be afraid of either. We still have some time. We are drafting a state program that would be in effect until 2020. It will have to take care of all the pitfalls that our accession to the WTO involves," Putin told a conference in Tambov on stock raising problems.
He said he was aware of Russian farmers' concerns about the country's WTO accession.
"We will definitively join the WTO this summer, and we still have time to look for solutions to problems that may arise after we join," Putin said. "There are mechanisms for dealing with them."
He suggested that farmers take up such problems with First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov.
"We have expected support for producers to be $5.6 billion (170 billion rubles)" in 2012, Putin said. "But the terms on which we are joining (the WTO) will enable us to give them $9 billion support in 2012-2013. That is nearly twice as much as we ourselves have planned. It's the reserve (that is needed), we should analyze the situation and maybe even add something on."
"There always are risks, but if one looks what the economy and consumers will gain from accession to the WTO, there are more advantages," Putin said.
He said Russia would reserve the right to put quotas on meat imports and to levy anti-dumping duties.
Nor do the WTO rules limit state support for transportation, rural social infrastructures, education and personnel training, Putin said. "We will definitely build up such programs," he said.
He suggested that the state directly subsidize the transportation system.