Russia expects success at Davos forum
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Russian presidential aide Arkady Dvorkovich expressed hope Friday the upcoming Davos economic forum would be a success for Russia.
During the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, or Davos as it is more simply known, Russia had many projects to offer and a number of international deals were expected to be signed, Dvorkovich told a press conference here.
"We hope this trip will be a success," he said.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, this year's main speaker, is scheduled to meet world business leaders at Davos on January 26-27.
According to Dvorkovich, the share swap between Russian oil giant Rosneft and British oil company BP, worth 16 million U.S. dollars, will be one of the hot issues.
The two oil giants have agreed to develop gas and oil fields in the Russian Arctic.
"The Rosneft-BP deal is important for partnership and joint projects, but it will also make it possible for Rosneft to learn and borrow from the experience of a leading global company," Dvorkovich said.
In the press conference, Dvorkovich also mentioned domestic economic problems, such as Russia's poor investment climate, which he blamed on state corruption and bureaucracy.
The official said he hoped Russia would become a World Trade Organization (WTO) member in 2011. "As far as the time frame (for Russia's accession to WTO) is concerned, no delays are expected. We plan to finish this work this year," Dvorkovich said.
