What are the prospects for Russian accession to WTO before the G-8 summit?
Though few issues remain to be resolved in the bilateral negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, they are contentious, important issues such as IPR and agricultural matters. The timing of resolution depends mostly on the political climate. I think that at best we will have agreement on the bilateral which is only one step in the process and its completion is followed by the multilateral stage. Respecting the likelihood of Congress granting Russia PNTR and eliminating Jackson-Vanik, Congress does not appear supportive at this time. Assuming the emergence of a solid bilateral agreement, we and many others will do all we can to provide support. Russia, for its part, does not seem particularly focused on facilitating passage. Each month another headline makes the task of garnering support more challenging. The U.S. administration also does not seem to have decided to expend political capital support Russia though only after the bilateral concludes will we see how this plays out. For thes
