Russian Economy Minister Believes His Meeting With Us Trade Minister Was Fruitful

German Gref, the Russian Economic Development and Trade Minister, stated that his talks with US Trade Secretary Donald Evans had very good results. In his interview with RIA Novosti, he stated that the preparations for the forthcoming visit of Vladimir Putin to the United States was at the top of the agenda. In addition, the authorities touched upon the burning issues of bilateral trade, in particular, steel trade. The third point of the talks concerned the prospects for the Russo-American cooperation. "We agreed that in the early 2002, I will visit the United States to discuss the issues of attracting investments and high-tech companies," Gref was quoted as saying. The Minister believes that the US business circles understand the essence of Russian reforms and the advantages of the country's investment climate. Gref headed the Russian delegation to the Fifth annual Russian investment symposium, which is being held in Boston.