I believe that Russia's talks for the purpose of joining the WTO are advancing. With regard to trade liberalization, it would definitely be an advantage for Russia to be a member of the WTO. For the moment, we at Export Development Canada are observing these developments with a great deal of interest. Not only will that make for easier trade flows between Canada and Russia, but Russia can then become a hub facilitating trade. For the moment, we're waiting to see how the situation will evolve.
On February 20th, 2007. See this statement in context.