"Pragmatic and efficient," Mr. Gref described a Polish-Russian business summit that had gathered in Warsaw earlier on the day. "We met at the forum spokesmen of many major Polish-based companies engaged in the Russian market. Russian business, on the contrary, is represented here in Poland less than it ought to be-that's evident," he remarked.
Poland will host another bilateral business forum, January 25. "Russia must boost representation-all the more so as its business community has far greater chances in Poland, now that the latter has joined the European Union," the minister went on.
"Bilateral trade and other economic contacts are making sufficient progress, though their content leaves much to be desired. Raw materials and commodities after primary procession preponderate. They make 70 per cent of Polish exports to Russia, and 90 per cent of the reverse. To make this content more sophisticated is a must."
Mr. Gref called Russian business to be more active in Polish-hosted high-tech industrial expositions.
"To build up our industrial exports is out of the question as Polish consumers have no idea of what Russia has to offer. They are losing Russian speaking habits apace. We are to get much more dynamic than we are. We must become known. Our tentative partners are to see what we are worth and what opportunities we have. They must see what we can produce, and they need a chance to appreciate and debate practical projects.
"It [the visit] came to me and the others as a lesson to learn-we ought to make changes," said the minister.
Hermann Gref and Jerzy Hausner, the host country's Minister of Economy andLabour, and Deputy Prime Minister, signed a bilateral intergovernmental agreement on economic partnership in Warsaw yesterday.
