United States Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez on Wednesday vowed to enhance U.S.-Russia trade and economic ties, pledging to support Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

After talks with his Russian counterpart German Gref in Moscow, Gutierrez said his ongoing visit aimed at exploring possibilities for furthering economic cooperation between the two countries, which benefits the two economies and will help to boost bilateral ties.

During the visit, he also urged Russia to further protect intellectual property rights and create a better environment for investment.

U.S. exports to Russia recorded 5 billion U.S. dollars while Russia to the U.S., 20 billion dollars last year. The United States has invested 11 billion dollars in Russia, according to Gref.

Russia has voiced hope for an early accession to the WTO, and it has signed bilateral agreement with the United States. However, intellectual property rights and agricultural questions remained unsolved.