Russia and Poland will try this week to resolve a trade dispute resulting from Poland's entry to the European Union next year, diplomats said on Tuesday

The dispute, stemming from Poland's decision last month to revoke a bilateral trade agreement with Russia, will be a key topic during Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov's talks on Wednesday with his Polish counterpart Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz in Warsaw. Poland has been forced to annul the deal, which guarantees mutual privileges in trade in many products, because it has to bring its import and export rules in line with those of the EU when it joins the bloc in May, along with nine other countries. "We hope there will be an agreement. Nobody wants a trade war," a Russian diplomat said. "The lack of a solution will be more painful for Poland than Russia. Most Polish goods may face double custom duties." Russia would like to extend the life of bilateral agreements with Poland and other EU newcomers beyond May and until Moscow and the European Commission, the EU's executive body, clinch a new comprehensive deal on mutual trade after the bloc's enlargement. A trade dispute with Russia would harm Poland's machine, paper, chemical and food processing industries, which dominate its $1.3 billion annual imports to Russia. Russia exported $4.4 billion worth of goods to Poland last year, mainly gas and oil