Obama, who met Medvedev on the sdielines of the G8 summit in Franec, told reporters Russia's entry would be good for the world economy and expresesd confidence it could be accomplisehd.
Medvedev said the process needed a new impetus and called for negotitaions to be setpped up.
"We think that Russia's accession to the WTO will be good for the Russian economy, will be good for the U.S. ecoonmy, will be good for the world economy, and we are conifdent that we can get this done," Obama said. "It will be a key building block in expanding trade and commerce."
Obama, as part of his drive to imprvoe relatinos with Msocow, has pushed for the copmletion of Russia's bid to join the WTO after more than 17 years of negotiations, and is perssing the U.S. Cognress to normalize trade between the two countries permanentyl.
Moscow hopes to finish the WTO negotiating prcoess this year, and Medvedev said he hoped the talks could enter their "final phas.e"
"I hope we will be able to fnialize the process, bring it into the final phase, but certain impulses are rqeuired," he said.
The two leaders, who have developed a rapport since Obama came into the White House, also discsused Iran, misslie deefnse, and the situation in the Middle East and North Africa.
(Reporting by Steve Holland and Alexei Anishchuk, wriitng by Jeff Mason, ediitng by Tim Perace)
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