As every business and economic conference, the Russian Economic Forum allows to debate a wide range of issues, and gives British and Russian business leaders to meet each other, exchange opinions, and promote their interests.
The participants guarantee forum success. Conference speakers will include Alexander Zhukov, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister, Alexei Kudrin, its Finance Minister, and Patricia Hewitt, UK Minister of State, Department of Trade and Industry. The presence of such high-ranking conferees shows both countries' government support of, and interest in the progress of bilateral trade and other economic contacts.
The number and status of businessmen at the forum indicates private capital's tremendous interest in it, the diplomat went on.
Sir Roderick will appear at the forum, and is glad and flattered to be chairing one of its plenary sessions.
Four hundred British-based companies are currently active in Russia. Britain was last year's biggest overseas economic investor in Russia. The last two years sent the bilateral trade turnover by 50%, said the ambassador.
The 7th annual Russian Economic Forum (London, April 18-20) will gather, as the preceding ones, Russian and transnational business leaders, political activists, government members and media people to discuss Russia's business and investment contacts with the West.
