Putin vows to do his best to create favorable business climate in Russia

(Interfax – AMSTERDAM, April 8, 2013) Russian authorities will continue to make effort to improve investment climate in the country.

“We will do our best to create favorable business environment,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with Russian and Dutch businessmen in Amsterdam on Monday.

“We are doing our best to improve business climate in Russia. Probably, there is much to be done, but we are moving in this direction,” Putin said.

The creation the single customs space with Kazakhstan and Belarus serves the goal, he said. “This is a good signal for our partners in Europe, because a market of 165 million people has started to work on the basis of WTO principles, and now it should be easier to work on the markets of the three countries,” he said.

Putin also noted Russia’s economic development successes. An economic growth of 3.2%, low unemployment rates and a moderate public debt can now be witnessed in Russia, he said. “Our gold and forex reserves are growing which is creating good conditions for foreign trade,” Putin said.

Russia’s foreign trade reached $865 billion and the balance of trade surplus is $195 billion, he said.