Belarus has faced a political fence on its way to the WTO, the Belarusian President says

      On its way to the WTO Belarus has faced a political fence, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said in an interview to the interstate television and radio company Mir.
“We have been mulling over this issue for a long time, have conducted necessary negotiations but faced a political fence. They say the WTO is a purely trade and economic organization. Nothing of the kind, the politics rule there,” the President said.
     “The urgency of acceding to the WTO has vanished after Russia entered the Organization. In fact now we will be working within the World Trade Organization, especially taking into account that Russia is our main partner. Maybe it is even for the better, we will gradually get used to the WTO rules,” Alexander Lukashenko noted.
     “We, with our export-oriented economy, cannot insulate ourselves from the world. And we depend on the whole world. Sooner or later we will make our entry to the World Trade Organization,” the Belarusian head of state said.