US investors consider YUKOS case to be political

US investors regard the situation around YUKOS and Sibneft as purely political. Christopher Winn, head of the Russian office of the US mission for economic development of Russia and Middle Asia, said that some of Russia's economic and political developments diverted Russian-US investment relations. He pointed out that current conditions for bilateral cooperation were favorable. Winn indicated however that US companies aware of Russian market and businesses did not regard the YUKOS case as an economic crisis but as a purely political act. According to him, Americans feel very strongly about the reputation of their partners, and the management of the company in particular. Next year US investors will be keeping a close eye on the Russian market, and possibly their investment interest will rise in two years from now, provided that there are no such situations as the one that happened to YUKOS.