Over 1,000 Businessmen from Russia and Other Countries to Participate in Russian Economic Forum in London

More than 1,000 representatives of the business community of Russia and other countries will participate in the 6th Russian Economic Forum (REF) to be held in London from April 2 to 4, REF founder and managing director Sergei Kolushev told RIA Novosti.

According to him, such interest in the forum is fuelled by quite concrete factors. The root cause is the growing interest of foreign business circles in developing co-operation with Russian business in the conditions when political stability is preserved in Russia, its economy grows, and the country has been making headway along the road of reforms in all spheres of life.

The strategic decision to invest 6.75 billion dollars in the Russian economy, recently taken by the British Petroleum corporation, is a confirmation of the fact that Russian business is viewed in the West as a serious and reliable partner, Kolushev noted.

He said that the heads of 200 leading corporations, companies and credit-and-financial institutions would come to the forum from Russia. The participation of western businessmen, specifically from Great Britain, the USA, Germany and France, is also expected to be intensive and high-level.

It is symptomatic that in 2003 representatives of oil companies from Arab countries - Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran - have for the first time expressed a desire to attend the forum: obviously, Russian oil business's activity on the world markets impels them to pay greater attention than before to the events at which representatives of the foremost Russian oil companies come together, Kolushev noted.

Director of the forum Simon Joseph told RIA Novosti, the question of corporative management in Russia would be a major theme of debates at the REF.

Another interesting issue on the agenda will be energy situation in the Russian fuel and energy complex and its investment chances. The participants in the forum will also discuss economic and social development of Russia and the results it has attained in international trade and in attracting foreign investments in the Russian economy, Joseph noted.