How do you feel about President Medvedevs recent initiatives to improve the investment climate in Russia?
Will they be successful? As you know, President Medvedev’s initiatives concern the issues of immigration legislation, customs, privatization, and tax and investment image of Russia abroad. Let us discuss these one after another. So, we plan to simplify and accelerate the migration regime for foreign citizens invited for employment by companies that implement investment, scientific or high-tech projects in our country. We believe this measure is absolutely necessary and, to say so, it is on the tip of the iceberg. Despite the sceptics, we do not believe this factor will complicate the employment of Russian citizens, because we are not talking about setting preferences for foreign workers. The measure on reducing customs clearance time, in our view, is more aimed at promoting foreign trade, rather than contribute to improving the investment climate. But the offers for the supplement of the forecast privatization plan for 2010-2011 by the big investmentattracting companies with the state
