Moldova to support Russia on WTO in exchange for lifting wine ban

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Wednesday November 29, 2006

Chisinau- World Trade Organization (WTO) member Moldova will support Russia in its bid to join the international trading group as Moscow has lifted a ban on Moldovan wines, a senior Moldovan official said Wednesday. "I believe that we have a breakthrough," said President Vladimir Voronin, according to an Infotag news agency report. "The result is clear: Russians can celebrate the New Year with a glass of Moldovan champagne."

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday during a meeting of heads of former Soviet nations in the Belarusian capital Minsk announced the Kremlin was willing to reverse a month-old ban on the import of Moldovan wines.

The ban was necessary, Russians officials claimed at the time, because of the low quality of Moldovan wines imported into Russia. Moldovan officials accused the Kremlin of inventing the problem to punish Chisinau for its overtures towards NATO and the European Union.

An estimated 13 per cent of the Moldovan gross domestic production (GDP) prior to the ban, depended on exports of agricultural products such as wine, fruit, and vegetables to Russia.

Since Russia has lifted the ban, Moldova will no longer oppose Russian efforts to join the WTO, Voronin said.

The Russian Itar-Tass news agency predicted the signing of a Russia-Moldova trade agreement in the near future.

The removal of Moldovan objections to Russian WTO membership still leaves a few WTO members against Russia's joining the organization.

Intense Russian diplomacy earlier this month achieved US agreement to allow Russia into the group. WTO rules allow any existing member to veto the entrance of a potential new member.

Poland and Georgia, both WTO members, continue to oppose allowing Russia into the WTO, because of Russian bans on Polish foods and Georgian wines respectively. Costa Rica also has objected to Russia's joining.

The Kremlin has said the disputes need to be resolved bilaterally, and have nothing to do with Russia's bid to join the WTO.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency