Five regional seminars were convened in strategic locations, where populations will be affected by WTO accession: Stavropol, Saratov, Cheboksary, Barnaul and Petrozavodsk. Government of Russia officials who directly work on Russia's accession to the WTO conducted the seminars. This group included members of the WTO negotiating team, experts who prep the WTO negotiating team, members of the Duma, and officials from the Center for Trade Policy and Law and Academics. Local government officials and businessmen from throughout each region will be invited to attend these one-day seminars.