Russia warned on Thursday it might annul all preferences it has given the United States in meat trade if talks on its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), scheduled for October in Geneva, collapse.

A letter recently sent by Economy Minister German Gref to US authorities said Russia "will be forced to return to the position that existed before the understandings on meat trade until Russia's accession to the WTO," the Economic Development and Trade Ministry said in a statement.

"While remaining true to its WTO accession plans, Russia nevertheless is determined to protect its interests," the letter said.

The agreement on meat trade, which Russia and the United States signed in June 2005 and is valid through 2009, provides for an increase in quotas on imports of US poultry meat, beef and pork.

Russia, the largest economy still outside the Geneva-based WTO, has been negotiating to join the world trade body since 1993. The United States remains the last hurdle to Russia's longtime WTO bid. The two sides failed to clinch a deal when Russian President Vladimir Putin met his US counterpart, George W. Bush, during the summit of the Group of Eight major powers last month in St. Petersburg.

Russian officials have since been cautious about when Russia could gain membership. Maxim Medvedkov, a top negotiator of the Russian delegation in the WTO talks, said last month that Russia may not join the WTO this year.

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2006)