Russia will not leave the World Trade Organization (WTO), despite attempts by some countries to push Russia out of the organization, a Russian diplomat said in an interview with Sputnik this Monday.
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"We are considering all options for our participation in multilateral trade and analyzing the balance of benefits and costs of full membership in the WTO," said Dmitry Birichevsky, Director of the Department for Economic Cooperation of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Later in the interview, he expressed: "At the same time, we assume that there are reasons to remain in the organization as a full member in order to maintain stable relations with developing countries that are ready to continue cooperation on an equal basis and with mutual interests," he added.
He said that the WTO is a fundamental world stage on which Russia has established trade and financial relations with nations that do not engage in threatening activities against Russia.
"We pay special attention to interaction with partners and like-minded people from Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Interaction with them is becoming more active and diverse," the diplomat said.
He also said that the rules of the WTO formed the premise for the functioning of the Eurasian Financial Union, and Russia, as a part of the organization, was obliged to comply with the WTO rules.