MOSCOW, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Australia signed an agreement on Tuesday on Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), leaving the United States the last country Russia has yet to conclude talks with in its bid to join the world trade body.

    The agreement was signed by trade officials of the two countries in the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Russian news agencies reported.

    Russia, the largest economy still outside the global trade body, has been negotiating to join the world trade body since 1993.

    Talks with the United States on WTO accession have snagged on a U.S. demand that foreign banks be allowed to open directly owned branches in Russia. Both sides have signalled they might be able to conclude the negotiation before a summit of the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrialized countries in St. Petersburg in mid-July. Enditem