ALMATY, September 25 (RIA Novosti) - Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus will seek to join the World Trade Organization at the same time and on equal terms as members of a customs union, a Russian first deputy prime minister said on Friday.
"Our goal is joining the WTO simultaneously and on equal terms," Igor Shuvalov said at a news conference in Almaty, following a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Community's Integration Committee.
Shuvalov said authorities of the three countries will discuss the terms on which they can join the WTO, adding none of the Customs Union members had withdrawn its application.
"We confirm our intention to join the WTO and will continue actively working on this issue in 2010," he said.
Russia is the world's only major economy outside the WTO. President Dmitry Medvedev last week blamed Washington for blocking its accession in the trade body.
Ex-Soviet allies Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan agreed in early June to form a customs bloc and seek joint accession to the WTO. Unified customs regulations are due to come into effect at the start of 2010.
