Are Conditions Placed on Russia Unusual?
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has claimed that WTO member countries, including the United States, are blocking Russian accession. Tarr disagreed, arguing that, overall, the demands placed on Russia are not unusual, with the exception of gas pricing restrictions. In fact, Russia was allowed to avoid opening its territory to foreign banking, a commitment that the United States had demanded from all other acceding countries not classified as “least developing countries.” Osakwe and Collins emphasized that no single member is holding up Russia’s accession. Though the WTO requirement for consensus provides members with a veto in theory, it is difficult for an individual country member in practice to resist the broader community. Russia Stands to Gain from WTO Accession Russia has a great deal to gain from WTO accession, including faster growth and much-needed institutional reform. • Tarr offered analysis suggesting that Russia would see a 3.3 percent increase in GDP in the medium te
