Becoming a Russian Oligarch After Rebirth
Chapter 1232 - 1016: Numerous Obstacles

Chapter 1232: Chapter 1016: Numerous Obstacles

Receiving such a thorny task, Wang Ye couldn’t quite muster a smile either.

Because no matter whether he succeeded or failed, there seemed to be little to gain and a lot of effort required.

There was substantial opposition within the country!

Many believed that after joining the WTO, domestic industries would be greatly impacted, gaining little benefit while allowing foreign goods to flood the market under the cover of low tariffs.

It would not be conducive to the development of domestic industries.

After all, Russia barely had any notable industries, nor did it possess any competitive products to vie with others in the international market.

Under these circumstances, why join the WTO?

Therefore, even if Wang Ye could successfully negotiate with WTO member countries and obtain accession permission, there was a possibility it could still be vetoed when submitted to the Duma for a vote...

...

Weighing the heavy folder in his hand, Wang Ye’s face was full of a bitter smile.

But he couldn’t refuse, especially since his positions as "Director of the National Foreign Affairs Committee" and "Director of the National Economic Committee" made him indeed the most suitable candidate.

Accession negotiations were, after all, matters related to foreign affairs and economics...

The initiative was originally led by the Kremlin, but now faced with difficulties, his father-in-law wanted to hand it over to him to continue.

To put it nicely, this was trust and high regard for him!

But was it not without a hint of passing the buck...

Seeing the hesitation and difficulty in Wang Ye’s heart, his father-in-law cheerfully advised, "Don’t be too troubled. After all, this matter has been dragging on for over a decade without success, and I know how great the resistance is at home and abroad. Just do your best; it’s not like the negotiations have to be completed within a set timeframe."

Those words were reasonable, not putting pressure on Wang Ye, otherwise, he might truly have thrown in the towel...

He thought about it and felt that this might not be a bad thing after all.

Since Russia needed to continue its rapid economic development, it would inevitably have to deal with the world’s major economies, and joining the WTO was indeed a good way to do so.

Although there were not many notable industries or competitive goods domestically at the moment, he had to look at the issue with a developmental perspective!

In recent years, with his strong support, the internet industry, automobile industry, as well as the ongoing plans for large aircraft and silicon wafer chips, might become highly competitive in the near future!

Joining the WTO now might mean other member countries would still underestimate Russia, so he could take the opportunity to secure more favorable conditions and prepare for the future.

Once those industries matured, they would have enough competitive force on the international market.

With this in mind, Wang Ye readily agreed, "No problem! Leave this task to me. I also think that joining the WTO has more advantages than disadvantages, so we shouldn’t drag it out if we can join sooner rather than later."

His father-in-law was overjoyed upon hearing this. He initially thought that even if Wang Ye didn’t oppose the idea, he might take time, perhaps even years, to advance the matter.

He never expected Wang Ye to be so straightforward, agreeing on the spot and stating that he would promote it as quickly as possible.

The father-in-law was a firm supporter of joining the WTO, which was why he had been tirelessly pushing the accession negotiations.

Otherwise, this matter would have been suppressed long ago, never to be brought up for discussion!

"Haha, I knew it, with Misha’s vision and perspective, you would certainly see the benefits of joining the WTO. Alas, there are still many stubborn old guard in the country, only seeing the disadvantages of joining, but completely blind to the benefits! But you still need to be careful not to make too many concessions in the negotiation conditions just to join quickly. Especially in the agricultural sector, which is a matter of national survival, you must stick to the bottom line..." his father-in-law cautioned a little worriedly, due to Wang Ye’s eager acceptance.

Clearly, he hoped for a swift accession to the WTO, but he was also not willing to forsake his bottom line in the process.

There were indeed some fields and industries that needed protection, or the future consequences would be severe!

And as for some less important industries, to be honest, giving them up wouldn’t matter much...

Wang Ye nodded; he of course had a sense of proportion, understanding what could be negotiated and what lines could not be crossed.

Take agriculture, for example, it was upon his suggestion that the country began to take it seriously.

He certainly wouldn’t open up this sector to foreign investment just to ease the WTO entry, but instead, provide sufficient protection to the domestic agriculture until it became strong and competitive enough to allow foreign capital into the domestic agricultural market.

This was Wang Ye’s bottom line, even if his father-in-law didn’t point it out explicitly, Wang Ye would have paid attention to it.

...

Back in his office, Wang Ye first called Bakova and had her gather all the WTO accession negotiation documents from recent years from the Archive Room.

Then he began to go through the folder given to him by his father-in-law, which contained details about the progression of the accession negotiations, as well as attitudes and conditions proposed by various WTO member countries regarding Russia’s joining.

The documents revealed that the vast majority of WTO member countries were in favor of Russia’s accession.

The United States had even stated several times that it fully supported Russia joining the WTO Family...