AlHijjah 15, 1432, Nov 11, 2011, SPA - US President Barack Obama on Thursday welcomed the World Trade Organization's green-lighting of Russian membership. "This is a significant day for US-Russia relations and for our commitment to a growing, rules-based global economy," Obama said. "Russia's membership in the WTO will lower tariffs, improve international access to Russia's services markets, hold the Russian government accountable to a system of rules governing trade behavior and provide the means to enforce those rules," Obama said, noting his longstanding support for Moscow's membership in the Geneva-based free-trade body. A WTO panel gave the go-ahead Thursday to Russian membership, and the body's leadership is to formally consider Russia's application at a ministerial conference on December 15-17. Russia would become the organization's 154th member, according to a report of the German Press Agency "DPA".
