TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran is optimistic about joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) by 2017 if political influence is not an issue, the Iranian commerce minister said.
"If we think about the economic point of view, I think its between five and seven years (from now)," Mehdi Qazanfari told reporters on the sidelines of a WTO conference on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, some developing countries released a declaration at the conference, which said that politics should not influence the accession process, press tv reported.

Iran is among several large countries, including Russia that remain outside the WTO.

The global trade body agreed to allow Iran to start membership talks in May 2005, nearly a decade after the Islamic Republic first proposed joining the organization.

Until then, the United States had stymied Irans efforts to enter the WTO largely because of opposition to Irans nuclear program.

In November, the World Trade Organization confirmed Iran had sent a summary of its trade policies to the global trade regulator to commence membership talks.

The move would pave the way for Iran to join the 153-member trade group.

Trade sources say Switzerlands WTO ambassador, Luzius Wasescha, would chair a working group to lead the negotiations with Iran.

WTO rules require candidates to negotiate with a working group which represent the trade body. WTO entry negotiations may take years to complete.