* Russia will pursue WTO talks
* Russia sees political, no technical obstacles to union
By Lidia Kelly
MOSCOW, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Russia will pursue talks on joining the World Trade Organization while preserving accession rights of a customs union of former Soviet republics, a senior economy ministry official said on Thursday.
"This means that their mandates would not be recalled, and this will allow each country, in case of successfully finishing their negotiations, independently join the WTO," Andrei Slepnev, deputy economy minister told journalists during a briefing.
Slepnev said the customs union could "without rushing" finish membership negotiations in the next 1-1/2 to 2 years. "There are no technical obstacles to finish the negotiations," Slepnev said. "Political ones -- that's another matter."
Russia is the only country of the Group of 20 major developed and developing economies that met last week in Pittsburgh that does not belong to the WTO. It is also the world's largest economy outside the 153-member group.
Russia has been in accession talks with the WTO since the early 1990s. Early in the summer, the talks suffered a significant setback when Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that his country is interested in joining the organization only in concert with Belarus and Kazakhstan.
SOFTER STANCE
After months of talks halted, Russia softened its stance, showing new interest with First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov's visit to Washington last month for talks with U.S. officials. But uncertainty on the form of the talks remains.
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said during Shuvalov's visit that the United States supports Russia's individual accession [ID:nN21262978].
On Thursday, Slepnev said that the negotiations will be continued in a "synchronised" manner with Belarus and Kazakhstan, especially when it comes to tariffs.
He added that the customs union commission in Kazakhstan has decided to take Russia's commitments to the WTO as a basis for negotiations.