Russia yesterday secured a deal with the European Union on terms for its entry into the World Trade Organisation

Russia yesterday secured a deal with the European Union on terms for its entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) - and immediately rewarded the bloc by promising to back a worldwide environmental pact.Both sides acknowledged making concessions to clinch a deal to boost President Vladimir Putin's goal of agreeing entry terms by the end of 2004. That would crown six years of talks to make Russia the WTO's 148th member - the last big economy to join. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and Russian Trade Minister German Gref signed the accord in the Kremlin and Putin immediately said Russia would back the Kyoto protocol on global warming, support eagerly awaited by his EU partners. Linking the two issues, Putin said: "It is true that the European Union has met us half-way on certain issues during the WTO negotiations. But Russia, he said, remained concerned over problems posed by a combination of EU enlargement, WTO membership and joining the Kyoto protocol. And Putin carefully avoided any commitments as to when the ratification could happen.