Russia not considering exiting WTO, senior diplomat assures

YEREVAN, February 28. /ARKA/. Russia is not planning to ditch its membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Pankin told TASS.

"So far, the position of relevant agencies, including the Russian Foreign Ministry, has remained unchanged as we still consider the WTO an important platform for protecting Russia’s trade and economic interests that has no alternative," he underscored.

According to Pankin, a potential Russian exit from the WTO would actually mean withdrawing from the processes of the international division of labor, as it "would curb the involvement in global supply chains, and affect the level and quality of foreign economic relations."

"Given the deep integration of Russia into the global economy, such a radical step would lead to an artificial self-isolation of the national economy," the senior Russian diplomat concluded. -0-