Andrew Somers, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, said Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov made "a good impression on Western businessmen and his manner of conversation suggests that he is not hostile to foreign entrepreneurs."
Photo: Sergey Mikheev
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America Certain about Russia's Future
// Washington examines business relations with Russia
Washington has hosted a conference on U.S.-Russian business relations. The attendees did not hide their interest in the well-being of Western business in Russia and repeatedly lauded President Putin’s role for the resurgence of Russia. They also sounded concerned about the continuity in Russian authority after the 2008 election. Kommersant’s special correspondent Dmitry Sidorov reports from Washington.
The Future of U.S.-Russian Business Relations was organized by the Heritage Foundation’s leading expert Ariel Cohen to gather a high-profile group of participants. The session was opened by Ambassador Gil Robinson who was asked to stand in for Andrew Somers, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia, who was unable to fly in time to Washington from Moscow where he and Western businessmen were meeting Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov. What Ambassador Robinson did onstage was just reading out a report by Mr. Somers.
Andrew Somers expressed admiration for the new Russian premier. “He made a good impression on Western business and his manner of conversation suggests that he is not hostile to foreign entrepreneurs,” the address said. Mr. Sommers, however, left some room for him to give up the suggested rosy forecast. “It is difficult to draw far-reaching conclusions following one meeting with Zubkov,” according to Mr. Somers.
The first part of the conference was conceived as an economic one. Delta Private Equity Partners CEO Patricia Cloherty said with certainty that “a capitalist genie has finally got out of the bottle in Russia”. Kommersant’s correspondent spoilt Ms. Cloherty’s optimistic mood by quoting her answer to Sen. Barack Obama’s question “Is Putin paranoid?” at the Senate’s international affairs committee in 2005. Defending the Russian president, Patricia Cloherty replied: “I think he probably should be paranoid. This is a very Shakespearian situation over there.” Kommersant’s correspondent asked whether there are people in Russia willing to assume the burden of presidency. Ms. Cloherty reacted swiftly saying that “Putin would like to become one”.
Kommersant’s second question was about Patricia Cloherty’s statement at the same session when she said that “the Russian government has poor feeling of the market.” “It is very easy to make financial markets move,” she explained. “Russian officials have recently become aware of the need of cautious statements.
Deutsche Bank Russia’s CEO Charles Ryan reminded of “a bad story of the West’s prediction about developments in Russia”. He cited the Soviet launch of a satellite and the current economic growth that “no one would dare to dream of in 1998”. “By 2020 Russia will become the world’s fifth-largest economy,” Mr. Ryan assured. He estimated that even if world oil prices drop to $40 per barrel, Russia’s economy will still be adding 6 percent a year.
Commenting on the upcoming presidential election in Russia, Charles Ryan made it clear that “the business community would like to see mild changes”. He called the incumbent Russian leader a “patriot” and described the presidential rule as “the sole legitimate institute”. Mr. Ryan, however, added that he is not enthusiastic about an idea for Mr. Putin to amend the Constitution to retain power.
The U.S. National Security Council’s Russia Director and President Bush’s aide Mary Warlick became the highlight of the second part of the conference. However, her speech brough no sensations. It is no surprise as reports of all major White House officials are double-checked in the highest ranks. Ms. Warlick reported successful investment relations between the countries, which among other things “allows Boeing, Conoco and International Paper to actively operate on the Russian market.”
Kommersant’s correspondent asked Mary Warlick whether one could say that no tangible results of talks featuring Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates with their Russian counterparts in Moscow and latest agreements of President Putin in Tehran dealt a blow on Washington’s efforts to diversify energy supplies in the West. Ms. Warlick did not agree with the statement. “Positive results were achieved in Moscow that President Putin supported. We have made a step forward on the anti-missile defense,” she said but did not specify what kind of headway was achieved. “We share a common vision on Iran,” Mary Warlick added. She, however, would not comment on Caspian agreements signed in Tehran saying they need “a closer study”.
Andrew Kuchins, director of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, went forward to defend Ms. Warlick. “Media reported the breakdown of talks in Moscow. But what did they expect from the meeting?” he asked. “It was not realistic to wait anti-missile agreements from it. We should view the situation with a cool head.
Mr. Kuchins delivered a 30-minute speech which ended an extremely optimistic statement: “No matter who will become the successor, or even if it will be Putin himself, economic boom in Russia will continue.”
Dmitry Sidorov
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 18, 2007
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