Vice President Biden welcomed First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Igor Shuvalov to the White House today.  The two discussed United States-Russian relations and Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization.  They agreed on the importance of continuing to strengthen our bilateral relations in a way that promotes the security and prosperity of both countries.  The Vice President affirmed U.S. support for Russia’s accession to the WTO and commended Deputy Prime Minister Shuvalov on Russia’s significant progress in the accession process.   In this regard, the Vice President encouraged the successful conclusion of ongoing talks between Russia and Georgia with respect to Russia’s WTO accession.