The United States is supportive of Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO), visiting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday.

In a speech at the Moscow State University, Clinton said the United States believed that within a global range innovation should be encouraged through consolidating financial stability and ensuring free trade and investment.

This is why the United States supports Russia's efforts to become a WTO member, she said.

The United States and Russia should become partners, said Clinton, for the sake of both countries and the two peoples, and for the future of the entire world.

Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan agreed in early June to form a customs bloc and seek joint accession to the WTO, a decision opposed by the European Union and the United States.

First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov confirmed in August that Russia will join the WTO as a single nation, but it will keep close coordination with Belarus and Kazakhstan during the accession negotiations.

Russia, which has been seeking WTO membership for more than 15 years, is the largest economy still outside the global trade body.

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