Russia needs to become world's leading technological power

”Digging the ground and mining natural resources is not enough. One has to develop the field innovatively,” Putin said

President Vladimir Putin is certain that Russian should become the leading country in the field of global energy. “I am certain that our country, its fuel and energy complex and science are ready to take up such a challenge. Moreover, such a large goal will give a serious impetus to the entire national economy,” Putin stated Thursday at the session of the Russian Federation Security Council.

The Russian government takes certain measures to lessen the dependence of the national economy on the oil export. The fuel and energy complex of Russia is the obvious advantage, which the country needs to use properly. “Russia must become the initiator and the trendsetter of energy innovations and new technologies,” the president said. “Digging the ground and mining natural resources is not enough. One has to develop the field innovatively,” the president said.

Analysts forecast a considerable increase of the energy consumption in the world during the forthcoming 15 years. The global demand on oil may increase by 35 million barrels a day by 2025 (+42 percent); the natural gas consumption is to grow by 1.7 trillion cubic meters a year (+60 percent).

Unfortunately, new technologies do not let Russian oil and gas companies take leading positions in the world. Leading Western countries do not have considerable reserves of energy on their territories. Energy enjoys global demand, that is why the transnational giant companies have become the tools of US-run foreign policies. Russian companies use Western technologies and equipment in their every-day activities. It obviously means that Russian oil and gas corporations cannot achieve the desired amount of global economic influence under such conditions.

USSR's specialists built quite a number of electric power plants and power-generating units in many foreign countries. Those countries ask Russia's help now, when it is time to modernize the equipment. President Putin is certain Russia should not lose its positions on other countries' energy markets. “In addition to export, it is important to promote our high-tech services for construction and modernization of energy objects,” the head of state said. “We must not lose the stations that were built abroad with the participation of the USSR and Russia,” Putin said.

For the time being, Russian energy technologies have been going out of date lately. Russian companies have lost several important tenders in China, India and Southeast Asia. When Germany-based giant Siemens intended to buy the Russian concern Power Machines, it was not interested in outdated Russian production technologies. The German company was intended to pay not for the equipment, but for the ability to access the markets, where the Russian energy equipment operates.

President Putin set a goal for the government to raise the investment attraction of the Russian fuel and energy complex.

Russian officials are going to discuss the question of global energy supplies and security during the coming G8 sessions. However, Russia needs to solve many internal problems to influence the level of world prices, transportation routes and become a full-fledged member on the global energy market.