Medvedev to hold conference on investment climate in Russia

2 February 2010, 11:24

(Kazan, February 2, Tatar-inform). President Dmitry Medvedev is to hold a conference here on Tuesday to discuss matters concerning the investment climate in Russia, Itar-Tass reports.

Kremlin analysts believe that the state of the investment climate is made up of not only purely economin components but also takes shape under the influence of other factors as well. In this sense, the President-chaired conference can give a positive signal to potential investors that took up a more guarded attitude or a wait-ad-see one in the period of financial downturn.

The Head of State himself repeatedly spoke of an intention to raise this theme. "It is time we returned to the matter concerning the investment climate in our country," he told a meeting on economic matters in mid-January, in particular."

He is convinced that "This does not mean that it (the investment climate) in our country is overly bad. However, frankly speaking, in the recent period we did not do much to improve it, apart from getting out of the downturn, engaging in modernising our own country, our own economy and switching over to a high-technology, investment-wise and innovations-based way of developement."

"I suggest devoting a special big conference to this matter and I an assigning the govevrnment, specifically the Minister of Economic Development, the Minister of Finance, and other colleagues to prepare essential proposals," Medvedev said then.

The theme of investment climate had been also touched upon by Medvedev earlier as well, at a conference on the development of small and medium-sized businesses in summer 2008. The Head of State said at that time, "All the decrees and laws will be absolutely insufficient (in this respect). They will simply produce zero effect if we fail to establish a full-value auspicious business climate in our country".

Medvedev is convinced that "Everyone must participate in bringing about a business climate: if we do not do that together, all our efforts will be to no avail".

*Sh