International Investment Forum to Take Place in Kaliningrad on October 25-26

An international investment forum will take place in Kaliningrad on October 25-26, announced George Russell, the co-chairman of the board of directors of the EastWest Institute, after a meeting with Viktor Cherkesov, the Russian President's plenipotentiary for the North-West Federal Region. Answering journalists' questions, Russell noted that the EastWest Institute and the Presidential Plenipotentiary's Office were the instigators of the forum. 'We discussed several questions relating to the organisation of the forum in Kaliningrad,' said Russell. 'I hope that in the course of the forum, together with all the participants, we will be able to determine what the obstacles are to making Kaliningrad more attractive to investors. After this it will be easier to overcome these obstacles'.

The EastWest Institute and the North-West Presidential Plenipotentiary's Office had planned to hold an international investment forum in September 2001, but it was postponed due to the terrorist attack on the United States.

The headquarters of the non-profit organisation EastWest are to be found in New York. Russell is also the honorary chairman of the Russell 20-20 Association, a non-profit organisation made up of 20 company executives and 20 investment funds, whose investment capital totals over USD 8 trillion. The Association was founded by George Russell in 1990. Its aim is to find opportunities for profitable investments in the developing markets of Eastern Europe, China, India, Russia and post-Soviet countries. Russell also sits on the board of directors of several other companies.