http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5182442.stm

"Talks on Russian entry into the World Trade Organization have been making slow progress on the eve of the annual G8 summit in St Petersburg.

The issue is high on the agenda of US President George W Bush and his host, Vladimir Putin, who met on Saturday as other leaders were due to arrive.

Mr Bush said a trade deal had been "almost reached" and talks will go on.

Other key issues for the summit are energy security and the crisis in the Middle East.

Mr Bush arrived in Russia's second city on Friday - the full G8 summit will officially open on Sunday morning.

Speaking after the talks, the two leaders said they had reached agreement on global nuclear energy, and fighting nuclear and other forms of terrorism.

On the violence in the Middle East, Mr Bush called on Hezbollah to lay down its arms while Mr Putin called for a "balanced" use of force in the Israeli-Lebanese crisis.

'Significant progress'

No deal has yet been struck on Russia joining the WTO, US and Russian officials confirmed, though a US spokesman reported "significant progress".

Russia is by far the largest economy still outside the 149-member group but the US still has some concerns - particularly on intellectual property rights.

Despite a thaw in the run-up to the summit, relations between the US and Russia have been frosty over recent months.

Mr Bush has pledged to raise concerns about freedom in Russia during their meetings but said he would not lecture Mr Putin.

President Putin recently accused Western critics of Russian democracy of using "colonialist" rhetoric and said they should not interfere in Russia's affairs.

The two leaders dined on Friday night at the opulent 18th-Century Constantine Palace, which will host the G8 meetings.

On Saturday, Mr Bush thanked his host for a "good dinner" and the 60th birthday present he received.

"Our relationship is good," he added.

Russia resurgent

Seven of the G8 nations, uneasy about the increasing role that Russia will have in meeting their energy needs, want energy supplies to be secure, says BBC economics correspondent Andrew Walker.

Russia in turn wants its customers to be secure.

The debate will take place in the context of new highs in oil prices, which have been given a further upward push by the latest fighting in the Middle East.

The BBC's Jonathan Marcus in St Petersburg says a resurgent Russia is eager to play a role on the world stage and the G8 summit provides just such a platform for Mr Putin.

But our correspondent says that for the Americans there is a fundamental ambivalence in their dealings with Moscow.

Mr Bush needs to keep his relations with Mr Putin on an even level but many in the US still question what they see as failures in Russian democracy."

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Russia better stay the hell out of the WTO, this issue will be huge because it is part of the key to global internet regulation. I hope these bastards die in hell, and Russia tells our Constitutional violating "leader", and the WTO to shove it up their ass forever.

-TrueAudio

Agreed TA.

Russia is a large oil exporter and still commands
several thousand MIRV ICBMs, Putin could very well tell Bush to shove it up his ass.

Allofmp3 must be relieved.

Join the WTO and the RIAA won't sue yer country!


Can the US UNjoin the WTO? and UNjoin the UN and NATO while we're at it....
Can I shove an ICBM up an RIAA's member's ass?

All the tin-foil hats hate the UN when the REAL danger is really the WTO.

"And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live."

Rev 13:14

"These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength to the beast."

"For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."

Rev 17:13,17


"And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Ma-gog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."

Rev 20: 11,12

Bring it, New World Order

Russia is by far the largest economy still outside the 149-member group but the US still has some concerns - particularly on intellectual property rights.

How 'bout China then? They joined a few years ago and don't respect it Think 'bout all the technology that was/is copied while the engineers or whatever, had/have a patent for their product.

This is a friggin' mad world with no place for logic