OREANDA-NEWS. The international business center “Russia in the WTO” of Moscow’s World Trade Center hosted a workshop entitled “Changes in international trade regulation after Russia’s accession to the WTO: What is most important for public servants.” The event aimed to raise public servants’ awareness of changes in laws regulating economic activities necessitated by Russia's accession to the WTO.

The attendees discussed a host of issues, including Russia’s commitments related to the WTO accession, improvement of the country’s laws and regulations in keeping with WTO’s corresponding standards and procedures, nontariff instruments of trade policy permitted or prescribed by the WTO, protection of intellectual property, principles governing the functioning of the Uniform Economic Space and the Customs Union. Special focus was made on capitalization of regional economies, including tools and programs aimed at assisting businessmen with getting access to international markets, support of domestic manufacturers, legal and economic mechanisms of protecting Russian exporters in case of discrimination in foreign markets, settlement of disputes within the WTO.The workshop was attended by employees of ministries and other public agencies, government-controlled corporations, innovation centers and professional associations, including Rosatom, Skolkovo, Russian Union of Entrepreneurs of the Textile and Light Industry.

Following traditions, the workshop was opened by Sergei Lauga, head of the WTC Training Center, and Roman Gubenko, director of the international business center “Russia in the WTO.”

Mr. Lauga noted that the workshop is attended by the country’s best experts who have hands-on knowledge of WTO-related issues. The workshop program follows a special plan, which includes most important issues that the participants are especially concerned with.

According to Mr. Gubenko, the workshop will not only enlarge theoretical knowledge of the attendees but will help them get in-depth understanding of processes related to Russia’s accession to the WTO.

The training was attended by Iosif Aronov, head of the conformance department of the Russian Research Certification Institute, Prof. Alexei Portansky from the Higher School of Economics, director of the WTO Information Office, Ms. Elena Rakovich, head of the office for customs and tariff regulation, benefits and preferences of the Customs and Tariff and Non-Tariff Regulation Department (European Economic Commission), Ms. Marina Selivanova, deputy head of the customs legislation office of the Legislation and Law Enforcement Department (European Economic Commission), and Alexander Filimonov, a partner at DS Law, a law firm, who specializes in intellectual property, corporate deals and investment processes.

Practical matters concerning regional capitalization that can be enhanced by using advantages of Russia’s WTO membership were analyzed and discussed by Mr. Gubenko, who is a leading expert in antidumping, compensation and special protection investigations, Ms. Veronika Putilina, head of the program department for support of small and medium-sized business entities and infrastructure of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, Nikita Mizunov, head of the office for market protection measures of the International Trade Coordination, Development and Regulation Department of the same ministry, and Ms. Anna Tangayeva, an expert of the international business center “Russia in the WTO.”