Download Free Investor’s Guidebook to Russia
Russia
Business & Finance
Economic Development and Trade Ministry
Foreign Investment Advisory Council (FIAC)
Comments (1)
The Economic Development and Trade Ministry with the support of the Foreign Investment Advisory Council (FIAC) has developed an Investor’s Guidebook to Russia.
Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref writes in the introduction that the guidebook’s main goal is to make it clear to the world community that “after 15 years of reform, Russia has become a completely different country from what it was in the early and mid- 1990s.”
The first part of the guidebook contains general information about the macroeconomic situation in Russia over the past few years and makes a mid-term forecast for the next two to three years. It also includes a list of completed reforms and national projects.
The guidebook then analyses sectors that are the most popular among foreign investors and rates regions according to their potential from the point of view of investment attractiveness.
The book also explains possible mechanisms for investment in the Russian economy, including new instruments under private and state partnership, such as concessions, investment funds, venture financing, etc. Moreover, this section contains a list of organizations, associations and unities that help foreign investors build their business in Russia.
There is also a list of successful projects by the biggest foreign investors in Russia.
The next section of the guidebook contains information on state regulating activity connected with foreign investment. It also describes Russia’s current legal, financial, banking and tax systems, along with an analysis of labor legislation. This section also explains the payment system and protection of intellectual property rights.
Another part of the guidebook contains general information about Russia useful for a visitor, including how to receive a Russian visa, a list of international airports and information about hotels, medical services and insurance.
An appendix contains a list and all contact information of foreign trade representations in Russia and the trade and economic sections of embassies in Russia.
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March 2007.
RUSSIAN INVESTOR ALERT
French holders of Russian government bonds wish to remind all investors that the Russian Federation is still in default today (March 2007) on their estimate of some US$ 80 billion owed to them since the Bolshevik, then the Soviet, and now the Russian Federation governments have all unilaterally repudiated Tsarist debt and refused any form of contact or dialogue with their creditors.
We also wish to remind investors that in its Sep. 15th 2006 report entitled “Governance matters: a decade of measuring the quality of governance”, the WORLD BANK rated Russia’s governance comparable to that of Swaziland, Zambia and Kazakhstan. Russia came 151st out of 208 countries in terms of (…) accountability, quality of regulatory bodies, rule of law, (…). In particular, rule of law (i.e. the courts and the quality of contract enforcement) was judged as effective in Russia as it is in Ecuador, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. Nicaragua, East Timor, and China’s ability to control corruption was judged similar to Russia’s.
Despite these findings, and despite the main rating agencies’ knowledge that Russia is in default on US$ 80 billion of Tsarist debt, Russia is rated “INVESTMENT GRADE”.
French bondholders intend to pursue their claim until full settlement at present value, by any legal means and in any jurisdiction they deem appropriate.
EVERY POTENTIAL INVESTOR IN RUSSIA MUST BE MADE AWARE OF THESE FACTS.
FRENCH CREDITORS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION STRONGLY ADVISE AGAINST ANY FORM OF INVESTMENT IN A COUNTRY WHOSE SOLVENT GOVERNMENT HAS SYTEMATICALLY REFUSED TO FULFIL ITS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS, REFUSES ALL CONTACT AND DIALOGUE WITH ITS BONA FIDE CREDITORS, AND REFUSES TO DISCLOSE LIABILITIES WORTH US$ 80 BILLION.