Russia set to join WTO

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Russia has struck a deal with the US to join the World Trade Organisation, after 13 years of negotiations, the head of the country's business lobby said.

Alexander Shokhin, the head of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, said on Friday: "A deal has been made.

"Presidents Vladimir Putin and George Bush should shake hands on the deal when they meet in mid-November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Hanoi."

Andrei Sharonov, the deputy economy minister, said earlier on Friday: "We hope that the two presidents might finalise the negotiations in Vietnam early next week."

al Jazeera