15 June, Saint Petersburg /Olga Belyavskaya - BELTA/. Russia will support its partners in the Customs Union in negotiations on accession to the WTO. This was stated today by the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev at the business forum "EEU: New Opportunities for Industrial Development", as reported by a BELTA correspondent. "In any case, we will provide all possible assistance on the negotiation track for our partners' accession to the WTO," said the head of the Russian government. In his opinion, the Customs Union will accelerate the accession of its member countries to the WTO. "At some point, we were all sent a clear and unambiguous signal: if you do this (proceed with the formation of the Customs Union. - BELTA note), we will not admit you to the WTO. Nothing - they are accepted, and you will be accepted, everyone will be accepted," said Dmitry Medvedev. According to him, the Customs Union, the formation of the EEU, and in the future the Eurasian Union, create new conditions for doing business. Today in Saint Petersburg, a memorandum will be signed, which provides for the establishment of an advisory council under the Collegium of the Eurasian Economic Commission, which will help ensure more reliable feedback between entrepreneurs and officials. "It is important that ministries hear the voice of business, especially in the current conditions," noted Dmitry Medvedev. "Business communities should appoint coordinators who will make recommendations on specific areas of activity. I have no illusion that our work will be without problems or that the creation of the Customs Union will instantly create a huge number of business conglomerates, however, in the part that will correspond to your ideas about the need for integration, we will help both organizationally and economically." The head of the Russian government stressed that the volume of mutual trade between the Customs Union countries has increased by 36% to $125 billion. This means that the union is working. -0-

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