Zee Beam News

MOSCOW. July 18 (Interfax) - Russia and the United States failed to solve many problems at the Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg, which could lead to a cooling in their relations, U.S. and Canada Studies Institute Director Sergei Rogov said. "But the Russian-American dialogue is continuing, which is a positive outcome of the summit," Rogov told Interfax on Tuesday. The Russian and U.S. delegations failed to reach an agreement on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization, the political scientist said. Alongside objective requirements, the United States advanced "far- fetched demands, going far beyond the limits of the WTO standards." "No agreement was reached precisely due to these political, not economic reasons," he added. Rogov said that, "A large-scale anti-Russian campaign unfolded in the United States" ahead of the St. Petersburg summit. Another factor that could chill relations between the two countries is the low popularity in the U.S. of President George W. Bush, who "cannot even count on the Republican faction's support in Congress." Among the main disagreements between Moscow and Washington are the two countries' different approaches to CIS countries and the problem of Iran and North Korea's nuclear programs, said Rogov.