Moldova on November 20 threatened to block Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) until Moscow grants Chisinau fair trade conditions. "Before Russia can join the WTO, we must resolve a whole series of problems on violations of WTO rules," Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev said. Tarlev added Moscow must remove the customs and excise barriers currently applied to most Moldovan agricultural exports to Russia, stop overcharging value-added tax for natural-gas exports to Moldova, and end an import ban on Moldovan wines that has been in place since March .
