WTO accession tames Russia

Russia is to join the World Trade Organisation WTO in the coming months. According to Russian sources Georgia, the last country to block Russia's entry on account of the conflict with Russia over the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, gave its accord on Wednesday. The West is now in a better position to keep an eye on Russia, the conservative daily Rzeczpospolita writes in delight: "This is by no means a triumph for the Kremlin, as many who criticise the West for being too obliging to Putin say. On the contrary: as a WTO member Russia can be better controlled. The more legal fetters are laid on the country, the easier it can be called to account for violating human rights. Moscow has been trying to join the WTO for 18 years. In the beginning everyone blocked Russian membership at will, including Poland. But in the end the only one left was Georgia. The rest had recognised that it makes no sense to exclude such a large economy from the world trade system of the WTO."

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