On December 24, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Alexander Pankin called US measures under the auspices of the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Russia unlikely, since the country does not violate its rules.
“There will be no retaliatory measures on the WTO line against Russia. The trade policy of our country is carried out in full compliance with the WTO rules, we do not violate anything. Most recently, in October, we discussed the American grievances during the review of Russia’s trade policy at the WTO. The partners asked us almost two hundred questions and received comprehensive answers to them, “he told RIA Novosti.
According to the deputy minister, the WTO dispute settlement system itself operates in a limited mode, since the appellate body does not work.
“He has not considered the disputes for two years, and not because of the pandemic. Things are thrown off there, but there is no one to decide. They will put the case down, but do you know how many cases? They lie. Well, it’s like a judge is sick, and when he will go to work, it is not known, if he will come out at all, ”Pankin said.
He stressed that this situation has developed solely through the fault of the US authorities, “which refuse to unblock the work of the appellate structure.”
On December 21, the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) reproached the Russian Federation for allegedly expanding state control over the economy due to the import substitution program. The US authorities expressed concern that “Russia continues to take and implement localization measures in order to provide benefits to both domestically produced goods and services.”
The Kremlin did not agree with this position of the United States. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov stressed that Russia does not violate WTO rules.
As Ivan Abramov, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, noted in an interview with Izvestia, such statements by the United States are the height of hypocrisy. He recalled that it was Washington that was the first to impose sanctions and violate WTO rules. As usual, the United States is shifting from a sore head to a healthy one, the deputy chairman concluded.
The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Maria Zakharova, in turn, also pointed out that if someone violated the norms of the World Trade Organization, it was the United States and the European Union themselves.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
