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Negotiations on Russia's accession to the WTO in the services sector
Consistent integration
of the Russian Federation in the international services market is essential because Russia’s detachment from the global system of
multilateral regulation of international trade in services, from the design of
shared rules of such trade and from participation in the existing mechanisms of
dispute settlement will make competitive Russian service providers’ access to
foreign markets even more difficult and aggravate the ongoing discrimination.
Accession to the WTO will help build up a presence of competitive Russian
service suppliers on international markets, move to a multilateral system of
regulation on the basis of the most-favored nation regime and non-discrimination,
secure guaranteed protection against potential discrimination by other nations.
Negotiations on access to the Russian services market, Present state of the
Russian services market) is one of four areas of talks
in the framework of Russian accession to the World Trade Organization.
The following items must be agreed during the services market access
negotiations:
- All restrictions which a new WTO member country may apply to regulate
access to specific services markets after accession:
- horizontal restrictions, which are applied to access to all services
sectors,
- restrictions applicable to individual sectors,
- list of preferential measures (exemptions from the most0-favored nation
regime) which a new WTO member country may apply to individual WTO members
after accession.
As an appendix to the Protocol of Accession, the List of Commitments
Concerning Access to the Services Market is part of the accession documents
package put together in the course of negotiations.
For details of information concerning Russia’s
accession to the WTO in terms of Russian services commitments (link to , see
the section of the site “Current State of Accession Negotiations”.
For analytical materials on the principles and specifics of international
services exchange, see the information bulletin Russia
on the way to the WTO,
(Issues 1-3). Brief outlines of the issues in English are available here.
Information materials on the process of Russia's accession to the WTO in the field of services
Mass Media Materials
The French got 3rd place in Russia (Kommersant, December 24, 2007, by Tatiyana Grishina, Tamila Jojua, Ekaterina Dudareva, Yuliya Chaykina)
Consultations between RF and Saudi Arabia on WTO took place in Geneva (GZT.ru, September 26, 2007)
Banks for export (Gzt.ru, February 18, 2007)
Towards for invaders. (Vedomosti, October 02, 2006)
Bankers prefer “daughters” (Moskovskie Novosti, June 09, 2006)
Talks with US on Russia’s WTO accession got moving (Izvestia, May 15, 2006)
Seven don't wait for one (Izvestia, March 22, 2006)
Russian bankers want legal fence against foreign banks (RIA Novosti, February 28, 2006)
Financial markets key problem in WTO talks with U.S. - Gref (RIA Novosti, February 17, 2006)
Financial complaisance (Vremya Novostei, February 20, 2006)
Russia to raise quota for foreigners on banking market (Vzglyad, February 15, 2006)
Item on agenda: Why foreign banks dangerous? (Vedomosty, December 21, 2005)
Foreign insurers eager to get into Russia (Gazeta.Gzt.ru, November 14, 2005)
Banking sector – bid is out of order (Finansovye Izvestia, October 21, 2005)
Canada let Russia join WTO (Kommersant, October 13, 2005)
Russia finished negotiations on WTO accession with Bolivia, Pakistan and Ecuador (Prime-Tass, June 29, 2005)
Moscow and Tokyo finished talks on Russia’s WTO accession (Prime-Tass, April 22, 2005)
Talks on Russia’s accession to WTO start in Geneva (RIA Novosti, June 20, 2005)
Regular session of Working Party on Russia’s accession to WTO is held in Geneva (Press release of the WTO Information Office, June 20, 2005)
India protests against forgery of Indian tea by Russian companies (Rossiiskaya Gazeta, September 13, 2005, by Alexei Chichkin)
CBR bargaining with foreigners (Gazeta.ru, June 02, 2005, by Georgiy Demidov)
US demands that Russia open foreign insurers’ branches if it joins WTO (Interfax, March 01, 2005)
Russia signals tough stance on financial services as WTO talks gain pace (Agence France-Presse, February 17, 2005)
IZVESTIA to host press conference on Russian banks' readiness for Russia's WTO accession (Izvestia, February 10, 2005)
Foreign banks not to be allowed to open branches in Russia (AK&M, February 11, 2005)
Bankers succeeded in not letting foreign banks' branches to Russian market (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, February 13, 2005, by Elena Tikhomirova)
Russia has no intention to fully liberalize its financial services market (Strana.ru, November 02, 2004)
Donohue: foreign banks to enjoy free competition in Russia (RIA Novosti, October 28, 2004)
Head of Sberbank: protocol of accession to the market of goods and services is major result of Beijing summit (RIA Novosty, October 15, 2004)
US investors should pay special attention to Russian IT market (Prime-Tass, October 08, 2004)
Accession to WTO is beneficial for Russia’s banking system (Rosbalt, September 07, 2004)
Russian Federal Agency for Railway Transport supports improvements in price list of freight railway transport (RIA Novosti, August 20, 2004)
Russia’s WTO accession may create losses for domestic ports’ cargo turnover (RBC Daily, August 10, 2004, Eugenia Gavrilyuk)
Education export (Expert, July 23, 2004, by Maria Galushkina)
Quality control in building industry to be tightened in Khabarovsk (Regnum.ru, July 06, 2004)
Reiman believes Russian communications sector does not face any crisis (Izvestia, June 30, 2004, Alexander Latkin)
If Russia joins WTO Russian and foreign banks should have equal conditions (RIA Novosti, June 22, 2004)
Access on Russian financial services market won’t change significantly after WTO accession thinks Alexey Kudrin (Interfax-AFI, June 21, 2004)
Consequences of WTO accession on Russian educational services (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, June 16, 2004, Vladimir Koptev-Dvornikov)
Russia is predicted to increase its IT exports by more than three times by 2005 (Prime-Tass, June 15, 2004)
Head of FAS welcomes improvement of competition in banking secror (RIA Novosti, June 09, 2004)
Roundtable meeting in State Duma on Russia’s WTO accession and educational services (Internal Sources, June 08, 2004)
After Russia’s WTO accession credits will be cheaper and insurance will be of higher quality (RBC, June 02, 2004)
After WTO accession Russia to retain quotas on foreign companies’ shares in banking and insurance (RIA Novosti, May 24, 2004)
Russia and EU to draft separate agreement on transit through Kaliningrad region (Prime-Tass, 21.05.04)
Foreign banks more secure but domestic ones still more preferable (Izvestia, April 29, 2004, Elena Gosteva)
Central Bank speaks against foreign banks’ branches in Russia (RIA Novosti, April 16, 2004)
Banking sector should take part in talks on Russia’s WTO accession, thinks Andrei Kazmin (RIA Novosti, April 14, 2004)
Foreign participation quota in Russia’s insurance companies’ capital to be retained after Russia’s WTO accession (Prime-Tass, April 05, 2004)
Russia’s insurance market ready for Russia’s WTO accession (RIA Novosti, March 30, 2004)
Government officials think that Russia is of no interest for foreign banks (Novye Izvestia , March 00, 2004)
Russia is ready to increase foreign banks’ quote on Russian market (Finansovye Izvestia, March 04, 2004)
Market is little by little getting used to protect business
We are losing time (Vedomosti, February 20, 2003)
MEDT counts stars on Russian hotels (Kommersant January 14, 2003, by Boris Gorlin)
Accession enters the final stage (Kommersant, November 11, 2002, by Igor Sedikh )
Russia and its opponents don’t make major concessions (Vedomosti, November 4, 2002, by Anastasya Onegina)
Fledgling Sector Clings to Protection
Europe’s declaration on October 29, 2002
The same old story. Russia may have to renew the negotiations on WTO accession. («Izvestia», October 26, 2002, Elena Korop)
They did not shut the door. Russia may still catch the last WTO train. (Vremya Novostei, October 28, 2002, by Vera Sitnina and Victor Matveev)
“Pirates” do not let Russia accede to the WTO. It will not be easy to clean our markets of counterfeit production. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, October 14, 2002, Alexey Efimov)
Symmetrical measure (Vedomosti, August 29, 2002 by Leonid Konnik)
Reznik sold “Rus”. For the first time a Russian insurer was taken over by foreigners. (Vedomosti, August 29, 2002, by Pavel Miledii and Boris Safronov)
Brussels rethinks policy on public services ( Financial Times , August 09, 2002, by Francesco Guerrera and Daniel Dombey in Brussels)
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Russia should liberalise before WTO accession (Financial Times, July 17, 2002)
Cosmetics for the WTO: Kasyanov said to join the world economy “on standard terms” (Vedomosti, July 12, 2002, by Natalya Neymysheva and Zoya Kaika)
The EU offers services, the developing countries refuse the offer so far (Wall Street Journal, Jeff Winestock, translation into Russian by Vedomosti, July 5, 2002)
Withdrawal from the WTO (Kommersant, June 22, 2002, by Andrey Bagrov)
China will lower its demands at the negotiations on Russia’s accession to the WTO (Vedomosti, June 10, 2002, by Zoya Kaika)
The defence should be wise
Protection for financiers?
Drafts of the new proposals for WTO accession will be submitted for the revision by the Government on March 14, 2002 (AK&M, March 12, 2002)
Services will receive a visa
Sporadic disarmament in front of the WTO
All the world will insure the Russians
M. Medvedkov: “Russia is ready for sporadic liberalization of the restrictions on the access to a number of the Russian market of services” (RIA-“Novosti”, AK&M, February 19, 2002)
EU let Russian aircraft industry alone
«Endless marathon”
EU-Russia bilateral discussions on Russia’s accession to the WTO will be held in Moscow, 5-8 February 2002 (Source: Delegation of the European Commission in Moscow , January 4, 2002)
This is a beginning of the end
Cruel European love to Russia
Le Temps: New step on the path of Russia’s accession to the WTO
EU negotiations delegation member Peter Young on accession of Russia to the WTO: "Tariffs are not the toughest issue" (Vedomosti, December 10, 2001, by Zoya Kaika)
Gats has great benefits to offer emerging economies (Financial Times, November 6, 2001, Letter to the editor by Lord Brittan)
Will the process of the WTO accession be fast and effective? ("Latest news: miracle forecasted. They take Russia to the WTO after all", "Izvestia", October 5, 2001, Kirill Palshin)
Svyazinvest’s head believes while acceding to the WTO, Russia should follow a policy of reasonable protectionism. (RIA Novosti, December 09, 2002, by Elena Fedorova)
Telecoms Investment Cap Called 'Bad Idea' (The Moscow Times, October 30, 2002, by Melissa Akin)
EU Talks Tough Over Accession to WTO (Moscow Times, October 24, 2002 )
Chinese messengers: our way to the WTO lies through Asia (Izvestia, August 22, 2002, Alexander Latkin)
"The New Vyakhirevs” (Vedomosti, July 24, 2002)
Exclusive rights of the JSC “Rostelekom” on the international traffic will be six years starting from the moment of accession of Russia to the WTO (ABN, July 19, 2002)
«Grandfather’s clause” for the telecoms (Vedomosti, July 2, 2002, by Alexander Boreyko)
Russian telecoms are afraid of the WTO (Finansovye Izvestiya, May 14, 2002, by Kirill Palshin and Alexander Latkin)
WTO and telecoms
Modified position of the RF on the issues of the telecommunications sector will be presented to the WTO members before March, 2002 (Agency of Business News, St.-Petersburg, February 1, 2002)
Unexpected restriction: accession to the WTO will complicate foreign telecom operation in Russia (Vedomosti, December 21, 2001, by Alexander Boreiko)
Telecoms Wary of Fine Print in WTO Bid (The Moscow Times, November 10, 2001, by Elizabeth Wolfe)
Minister does not mind WTO: Leonid Reiman refutes his alleged statement that Russian telecoms will be affected by accession to the WTO (Kommersant, September 20, 2001, by Ivan Cheberko)
Russian Telecommunications Minister Leonid Reiman protested against Russia's accession to the WTO ("Vedomosti", September 19, 2001)
WTO: more harm than good (VremyaMN, December 11, 2002, by Vladimir Gurvich)
Russian insurance market should be opened for foreign companies step-by-step and sector-by-sector (RIA Novosti, December 09, 2002, by Elena Fedorova)
Interview: Deputy Minister for Economic Development and Trade Maxim Medvedkov (Vedomosti, October 31, 2002, by Anastasya Onegina)
Russia is not afraid of foreign insurers. It can give them up to 25 percent of the insurance markert. (Vedomosti, October 30, 2002, by Anastasia Onegina and Pavel Miledin)
Insurance issues are top-priority for WTO (Gazeta, October 24, 2002)
Vladislav Reznik: “Lack of opennes of insurance market in Russia is in breach of the efforts of WTO accession” (RIA-Novosti, June 18, 2002)
The concept has changed (Vedomosti, June 14, 2002) /a>
Alexey Kudrin and EU Commissioner for Trade Pascal Lamy discussed access of the European operators to the Russian insurance market (PRIME-TASS, May 28, 2002)
US insurers call Russia’s WTO accession bid ‘unacceptable’
Russian market was offered to the foreigners: the concept of development of insurance sector (Kommersant, April 16, 2002, by Tatyana Grishina)
Russian insurers addressed Kasyanov with a request to protect internal insurance market at the negotiations on Russia’s WTO accession (RIA-Novosti, April 12, 2002)
The EU complained to Kudrin
Russian insurers require a ban on transborder trade in insurance services
Insurance market in the process of WTO accession
WTO rules contain instruments for protecting Russian sector of insurance services" - this opinion of companies with joint capital is not shared by the majority of the market ( Strana.Ru, January 15, 2002, by Galina Bazina)
Access to the Russian insurance services market will be discussed next week in Geneva (RIA Novosti, 15.01.02, Alexander Ivashchenko)
An Insurance Chamber meeting was held in Moscow today to discuss the impact of Russia's forthcoming accession to the WTO on the insurance market (Oreanda, January 15, 2002)
China to further open insurance market on WTO entry (Asia Pulse, November 23, 2001)
WTO Negotiator Says Banking Is a Very 'Painful' Topic at Talks (The Moscow Times, December 3, 2002, by Annabel McGilvray )
A. Mordashov thinks that a quota of the share of foreign capital in the banking system of the Rf is likely to be established while discussing Russia’s joining the WTO. (AK&M, November 27, 2002 )
Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry insists on limitation on access of foreign companies to Russian market of services (RIA Novosti, November 19, 2002, by Alexander Ivaschenko )
It is important to avoid “wild capitalism” while joining the WTO (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, November 14, 2002, by Konstantin Frumkin)
Foreign companies will be allowed to the banking sector in order to avoid increase in energy prices (Vedomosti, November 11, 2002, by Anastasya Onegina)
«We have become a stumbling block in Russia’s resolving her own problems in WTO accession” (Finansovye Izvestiya, June 20, 2002, by Natalia Orlova)
First victim of the WTO: Russian branch of the Armenian bank “Anelik” (Vedomosti, June 19, 2002, by Svetlana Petrova)/a>
Russian bankers on accession of Russia to the WTO (Regions.Ru, June 18, 2002)
Subcommittee on stock market of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry reviewed the suggestions by the European Business Club on the reform of the financial services sector upon accession of Russia to the WTO (Finmarket, June 18, 2002)
Forum of Association of the Russian Banks will discuss the issues of readiness of the banking system of the country to accession of Russia to the WTO (RIA-Novosti, June 18, 2002)
Head of Sberbank: transition period for the banks is needed when acceding to the WTO (Gazeta.Ru, June 17, 2002)
Filtering foreigners (Vremya Novostey, May 24, 2002, by Yelena Pototskaya)
Russian bankers think that position of the Russian banking system will not change right away after accession of the country to the WTO (RIA-Novosti, April 24, 2002)
Seminar on the issues of accession of Russia to the WTO in the sphere of financial services was held on March 28, 2002 in Moscow (Internal Sources, March 29, 2002)
A.Kazmin estimates the period needed for the domestic banks to be able to withstand foreign competition as 7-10 years (AK&M, March 27, 2002)
Yekaterinburg: “Russian banks will need ten years to get integrated into the world economy”
Russian banks should develop a paunch first
I.Kostikov, Head of the Federal Commission for Securities: "Accession of Russia to the WTO should increase the inflow of investments to the Russian capital market" (Agency of Business News, January 3, 2002)
Federal Commission on Securities suggests that the non-residents presence at Russian stock market be restricted as a condition of Russia's accession to the WTO, said Alexey Sharonov (PRIME-TASS, December 21, 2001).
Deputy Head of the Bank of Russia noted the readiness of the financial and banking sector to accession to the WTO (AK&M, December 18, 2001)
When acceding to the WTO it is necessary to increase manyfold capitalization of the Russian stock market (RosBusinessConsulting, December 4, 2001)
At the negotiations on Russia's accession to the WTO special attention should be given to the least developed segments of the Russian financial market (RosBusinessConsulting, October 25, 2001)
Russian financial services sector is one of the most protected in the framework of Russia's accession to the WTO (Internal Sources, October 25, 2001)
Press releases of the WTO Information Office
Results of the press-club meeting on May 17, 2002 (Internal Sources, AK&M, RosBusinessConsulting, May 17, 2002)
13th meeting of the Working Party on the accession of Russia to the WTO held in Geneva
Results of the press conference of the EU Commissioners Pascal Lamy and Chris Patten on December 5, 2001 (Press Release of the WTO Information Office)
Series of negotiations in the framework of the process of accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO will take place in Geneva (Internal Sources)
Second meeting of the Press-club on the topic "Accession of Russia to the WTO. World trade issues" was held on November 15, 2001 (Press-release of the WTO Information Office)
Results of the bilateral negotiations on services market access in Geneva (PRESS-RELEASE of the WTO Information Office)
Negotiations with the WTO member states on services market access start today, October 1. (Internal Sources)
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