Economics Minister Andrei Shapovalyants said Russia should be extremely cautious and meticulous in analyzing all consequences of joining the World Trade Organization.

"We should be as cautious as we were while preparing documents to be submitted to the International Monetary Fund," Shapovalyants said during a government debate over possible entry into the WTO. He said no hurried decisions should be made regarding the issue.

But deputy Economics Minister Ivan Materov went against his boss, saying that negotiations with the WTO should be accelerated and brought to completion by year's end. He said conditions for Russia's entry would only worsen with every passing year.

"Both opinions have grounds," Sergei Prikhodko, a member of the board of directors of the Institute of Economy in Transition, said. "The thing is that the WTO is about to enter a new stage in its development, called Round 2000. On the previous stage, the WTO was formed in its present shape from GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and its members signed agreements on trade barriers and protection of property rights.

"On the next stage, plans call for extending WTO membership requirements by adding issues related to capital movement, workforce movement and the industry of services."

Therefore, if Russia does not enter the WTO now it will encounter additional problems seeking membership at a later time, Prikhodko said. He admitted, however, that in a hurried entry into the WTO, Russia would have to make more concessions than in the course of lengthy negotiations.

"Of course we can emulate the Kirghiz example of quick entry into the WTO. But in this case we will have no choice but to accept all conditions and meet all demands. Therefore, we should not hurry," Prikhodko said.

A more detailed analysis of all pros and contras of Russia's entry into the WTO was given at a meeting of the ad hoc government's commission held last week. Specific attention was devoted to agriculture and the industry of services.

In an WORLD REPORT with The Russia Journal, Trade Ministry spokesman Alexander Pakhomov said that in order to match WTO standards, Russia would have to cut government support of agriculture by 25 to 50 percent. That would jeopardize Russia's agriculture, which already is far from flourishing, he said.

Prikhodko cautioned that WTO membership would not solve all of the country's problems.

"It is incorrect to consider WTO membership a panacea. It is just one step toward Russia's integration into the world community," he said. "WTO membership would allow Russia to go to court in response to accusations of dumping in cases like those concerning Russia's steel and uranium exports to the United States. Not more and not less."