Russia incompatible with WTO- Godmanis

  • 2008-07-08
  • TBT staff and wire reports

Photo: Valentina Jori

RIGA- Russia's announcement of its plan to cease theexport of oil products and coal through the ports of the Baltics does notcorrespond to Russia's desire to join the World Trade Organization (WTO),Latvian Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis said during the show 900 seconds onLatvian television.


"Russiawishes to join WTO, it has not recalled its wish. These two things do not gotogether, it is some kind of discrimination -- sending to one port and notsending to other ones and applying different tariffs," the prime ministersaid.

Godmanis added that Latvia is for practical relations.

"We are for having market relations, which was underscoredby the Russian government representatives at the meting of the Baltic Sea countries here. We are for strengthening thecontractual base and we are for Russian ascension to PTO, which would simplifythings."


Last week the television channel Rosija informed the public of the statement ofRussian Vice-Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov regarding Russia having to cease the exportof  oil products and coal through theBaltic ports.

"We have.. a task -- of fully discontinuing oil and coalexports through the Baltic States and increasing the capacity of doing itthrough our ports, to receive equipment, food and other cargos," Ivanovsaid during the naval issues board session of Russia'sgovernment in St Petersburg.


Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin in reply to Ivanov's question said"at present 80 percent of cargo going through the ports of the Baltic States are oil products." "In 2015 wewill have enough of our own capacities to reload these products."